Glossary
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Amniocentesis: A procedure in which a needle is used to withdraw and test a small amount of amniotic fluid and cells from the sac surrounding the fetus.
Amniotic Fluid: Water in the sac surrounding the fetus in the mother’s uterus.
Biopsy: A minor surgical procedure to remove a small piece of tissue that is then examined under a microscope in a laboratory.
Chorionic Villus Sampling: A procedure in which a small sample of cells is taken from the placenta and tested.
Congenital Anomalies: Changes in a body structure or function from what is normally expected that are present from birth.
Ectopic Pregnancy: A pregnancy in which the fertilized egg begins to grow in a place other than inside the uterus, usually in one of the fallopian tubes.
Fetus: The stage of prenatal development that starts 8 weeks after fertilization and lasts until the end of pregnancy.
Fibroid: A growth, usually benign, that forms in the muscle of the uterus.
Gestational Age: The age of a pregnancy, usually calculated from the number of weeks that have elapsed from the first day of the last normal menstrual period and often using findings from an ultrasound examination performed in the first or second trimester of pregnancy.
