Health Sciences

Items

• Systolic pressure

  Pressure during heartbeat contraction.
• Systolic volume

  Blood in ventricle after contraction.
• Vascular elasticity

  Ability of vessels to stretch and return.
• Vasodilator

  Substance that widens blood vessels.
• Ventricles

  Lower heart chambers.
• Ventricular fibrillation

  Uncontrolled heart rhythm.
• Wasting

  Severe thinness due to malnutrition.
• Afterpains

  Contraction of the uterus during breastfeeding in the first few days after childbirth, owing to release of oxytocin.
• Alveoli

  Small sacs of milk-secreting cells in the breast.
• Amenorrhea

  Absence of menstruation.
• Anaemia

  Lack of haemoglobin (red cells) in the blood.
• Antenatal

  A period during pregnancy.
• Antibodies

  Proteins in the blood and in breast milk that fight infection.
• Areola

  Dark skin surrounding the nipple.
• Artificial feeding

  Feeding an infant on a breast-milk substitute.
• Artificial feeds

  Any kind of milk or liquid given instead of breastfeeding.
• Artificial teat

  Part of feeding bottle from which baby sucks.
• Artificially fed

  Receiving artificial feeds only, no breast milk.
• Attachment

  How a baby takes the breast into the mouth.
• MBFHI

  Initiative to promote breastfeeding support in hospitals.
• Bilirubin

  Breakdown product of haemoglobin causing jaundice.
• Blocked duct

  Milk duct blocked by thickened milk.
• Bond

  Close emotional relationship between mother and baby.
• Bottle feeding

  Feeding infant from bottle.
• Breast pump

  Device for expressing milk.