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Articles:

The Roles of Maternal Depression, Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor Treatment, and Concomitant Benzodiazepine Use on Infant Neurobehavioral Functioning Over the First Postnatal Month

Terms:

• Preconception counseling: an appointment with your healthcare provider to discuss and plan future pregnancies. Family history, risk factors, medical conditions, and lifestyle are discussed.

• Cystic Fibrosis: a genetic condition that affects a protein in the body.

• Sickle Cell: an inherited blood disorder in which red blood cells form into a sickle shape which can block blood flow causing pain (sickle cell crisis)

• Ferning: Amniotic fluid crystallizes in a fernlike pattern when dried on a glass slide

• Rupture of membranes:  the sac (amniotic membrane) surrounding your baby breaks (ruptures)

• Fetal Heart Rate Tracing:  monitoring of the baby’s heart rate.

• • Acceleration:  When the fetal heart rate goes up indicating good oxygenation.

  • Deceleration:  A drop in the fetal heart rate, which can indicate fetal head compression, umbilical cord compression, or a decrease in oxygenation.

• Postpartum anxiety: characterized by excessive worrying that occurs after childbirth. Those with postpartum anxiety may feel consumed with worry and constantly nervous or panicked.

• Baby blues:  Changes in mood that result from the loss of hormones experienced after birth. Occur in the first days after birth up to 14 days.

• Fourth trimester: Often referred to as the 12-week period after giving birth. It is a period of adjustment as the baby adjusts to being in a new environment and birth warriors adjust to parenthood.

• SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors):  A class of medications used in the treatment of major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, and other psychological conditions. Works by increasing levels of serotonin in the brain

• SSNRI (serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors): A class of medications that in the treatment of major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and social phobia, among other conditions

• PPHN (Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn): a rare condition in which the normal circulatory transition after birth does not happen. Babies may have symptoms such as fast breathing, fast heart rate, grunting or moaning when breathing, decreased oxygenation

• Neonatal adaptation syndrome: Symptoms may include poor muscle tone, tremors, jitteriness, irritability, seizures, feeding difficulties, sleep disturbances, low blood sugar, and respiratory distress. Has no long-term consequences for the baby.

Links:

• PSI (Postpartum Support International): An organization that aims to raise awareness about the emotional changes that women experience during  and postpartum by educating and training the community

  https://www.postpartum.net/about-psi/

• MotherToBaby: An organization that is a source of evidence-based information on the benefit or risk of medications and other exposures (eg. vaccines, chemicals, herbal products) during pregnancy and while breastfeeding

  https://mothertobaby.org/