Caring with confidence  >  Glossary
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Amniocentesis - taking a sample of the fluid surrounding the baby in the womb

Anaemia - reduced levels of haemoglobin -the substance inside red blood cells that carries oxygen 

Bacteraemia - bacterial infection in the bloodstream 

Caesarian section - an operation to remove the baby from the mother's abdomen

Colostrum - the milk produced by the mother in the first few days after birth

Counselling - aims to enable someone to cope better with stress, find realistic ways to solve problems and make informed decisions. Counselling is different from giving advice. Counselling is about enabling people to decide for themselves how to solve their problems. Giving advice is about suggesting how they might solve their problems. Counselling involves listening, learning, sharing and caring. 

Cyanosis - blueness of the lips or tongue, most often due to a lack of oxygen

Hypoxia - lack of oxygen, indicated by symptoms such as restlessness, difficulty breathing (dyspnoea), inability to suck 

Mother-to-child transmission (or vertical transmission) - refers to transmitting HIV during pregnancy, birth or breastfeeding 

Prophylaxis (or preventive therapy) - chemoprophylaxis is the use of drugs to prevent disease 

Sepsis - the presence of pus-forming bacteria in the blood or tissues, such as in septicaemia (blood poisoning) 

Wet nursing - when someone other than the mother breastfeeds a baby

In this briefing paper, children can refer to anyone from 0 to 18 years of age. Young children refers to anyone from 0 to 5 years of age.

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