Pregnancy And Baby Glossary

Vacuum Extraction to Vitamin K

Vacuum extraction involves attaching a suction cup instrument against the baby's head, creating suction with a pump and gently pulling to help ease the baby down the birth canal. The vacuum extractor is sometimes used instead of forceps. The force of the suction may cause a bruise on the newborn's head.

A slippery, cheesy, white substance that covers the skin of a baby while in the womb is vernix.

Vitamin K is a vitamin that aids normal blood coagulation. A deficiency of vitamin K prolongs blood clotting time and can lead to hemorrhage. In the United States, virtually all babies receive an injection of vitamin K shortly after birth.

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