Word parts
What it means
Describes the connection where the mother's blood in the wall of the uterus meets the placenta. Oxygen and food pass from the mother's blood to the fetus there, and waste passes back. Contractions, low maternal blood pressure, smoking and high blood pressure in pregnancy can all reduce uteroplacental blood flow.
For the nurse
Positioning the pregnant client on her side, most often the left, keeps the uterus off the large blood vessels and helps blood reach the placenta.
Related terms
uteroplacental insufficiency
Too little blood flow between the uterus and the placenta for the fetus's needs.
late deceleration
A gradual drop in the fetal heart rate that starts and hits its lowest point after the peak of a contraction.