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| Pregnancy Terms |
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Pregnancy terms starting with G
Get quick definitions of many of the most common pregnancy terms here! From fertility
treatment terminology to common pregnancy conditions to the stages of labor, find
out more about the hundreds of new words you will be hearing.
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Gamete
Category:
Conception and fertility
A reproductive cell, either a sperm or an egg.
Gamete intrafallopian transfer
Category:
Conception and fertility
An ART procedure that involves removing eggs from the woman's ovary, combining them with
sperm, and using a laparoscope to place the unfertilized eggs and the sperm into the woman's
fallopian tubes through a small incision in her abdomen. Frequently shortened to GIFT.
Gastroschisis
Category:
Birth defects
In gastroschisis, the abdominal viscera (intestines, etc.) protrude through an abdominal
wall defect, usually on the right side of the umbilical cord insertion (aka the belly
button).
Gene
Category:
General pregnancy
A unit of inheritance; a working subunit of DNA. Each of the body's 50,000 to 100,000 genes
contains the code for a specific product, typically, a protein such as an enzyme.
Genital herpes
Category:
Mom's health
Infection of the skin of the genital area by herpes simplex virus. If you have an active
herpes infection when it is time to deliver, your baby will probably be delivered by
cesarean section.
Gestation period
Category:
General pregnancy
The period of development of the embryo/fetus from the time of conception until birth.
Gestational age
Category:
General pregnancy
The age of the embryo/fetus since time of conception.
When using gestational age (versus menstrual age), a term pregnancy lasts 266 days, or 38
weeks.
Gestational diabetes
Category:
Mom's health
A temporary type of diabetes known as gestational diabetes develops in some pregnant women;
the condition disappears when the pregnancy is over. GD occurs in 2 to 5 percent of
pregnancies and at higher rates among African Americans, Hispanics/Latino Americans, and
American Indians. Some of the factors associated with women who have an increased risk are
obesity; a family history of diabetes; having given birth previously to a very large infant,
a stillbirth, or a child with a birth defect; or having too much amniotic fluid
(polyhydramnios). Also, women who are older than 25 are at greater risk than younger
individuals.
Gestational sac
Category:
General pregnancy
A fluid-filled structure that develops within the uterus early in pregnancy.
Glucose screening test
Category:
Mom's health
A screening test for gestational diabetes. The test is performed by giving 50 grams of a
glucose drink [usually in the form of a special can of orange or lemon-lime soda] and then
measuring the blood sugar level one hour later. A woman with a blood sugar level of less
than 140 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl) at one hour is presumed not to have gestational
diabetes and requires no further testing. If the blood sugar level is greater than 140 mg/dl
the test is considered abnormal or "positive."
Goodell's sign
Category:
General pregnancy
The softening of the cervix at 6-8 weeks, an early indicator of pregnancy.
Group b strep
Category:
Mom's health
Group B streptococcus (GBS) is a type of bacterium that causes illness in newborn babies,
pregnant women, the elderly, and adults with other illnesses, such as diabetes or liver
disease. GBS is the most common cause of sepsis (blood infection) and meningitis (infection
of the fluid and lining surrounding the brain) in newborns.
GBS carriage can be detected during pregnancy by taking a swab of both the vagina and rectum
for special culture. Physicians who culture for GBS carriage during prenatal visits
generally do so late in pregnancy (35-37 weeks).
Growth plate
Category:
Baby's health
The growth plate, also known as the physis, is the area of developing tissue near the end of
the long bones in children and adolescents. Each long bone has at least two growth plates:
one at each end. The growth plate determines the future length and shape of the mature bone.
When growth is complete -- sometime during adolescence -- the growth plates are replaced by
solid bone.
More definitions
Click on any of the letters below to read more:
A B
C D
E F
G H
I J
K L
M N
O P
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