refraining from sexual intercourse until marriage

a prenatal test using a sample of amniotic fluid to check for birth defects

liquid that surrounds and protects the developing baby in the uterus during pregnancy

problem's babies are born with which threaten their health or ability to live

problems of the motor system that can include lack of coordination, stiffness, jerkiness, difficulty with speech, and paralysis

carry the genes that convey hereditary characteristics

a prenatal test for specific birth defects performed by sampling small amounts of the tissue from the membrane around the fetus

a gap in the upper lip or palate that causes problems with eating, swallowing, speech and appearance

union of an ovum and sperm, resulting in the beginning of a pregnancy

affects the respiratory and digestive systems; many children die before reaching adulthood

the genes that dictate the way a trait is expressed

a group of problems that include mental retardation, problems of the heart, blood and digestive system and poor muscle tone

a birth defect that occurs because a mother drinks alcohol during pregnancy

the ability to conceive a child

units that determine inherited characteristics

medical advice that tells a couple the options and risks of having genetic problems in their children

an excess of fluid surrounds the brain, causing brain damage. See also "Spina Bifida"

the inability to conceive a child

time off from work that allows a mother to give birth, recover, and begin to care for a new baby

there are different types that involve a progressive weakness and shrinking of the muscles; the most common form begins between the ages of two and six

female sex cell, or egg, needed for reproduction

time off from work that allows a father to care for a new baby

the developing baby from the second until the eighth or ninth week of pregnancy

the developing baby from the eighth or ninth week of pregnancy until birth

the developing baby from conception until the second week of pregnancy

a condition in which the body is unable to process and use a specific protein; mental retardation can result

a tissue in the uterus of a pregnant woman that brings food and oxygen from the mother's body to a developing baby

the time of life from conception until birth

the time before the baby is born

genes that are expressed as a trait only if paired with a matching recessive gene

malformed red blood cells that interfere with the supply of oxygen to all parts of the body which can lead to early death

the male sex cell needed for reproduction

an incompletely formed spinal cord may lead to stiff joints, difficulty moving the legs, partial paralysis and problems with the kidneys and urinary tract; seventy percent of children with spina bifida also have hydrocephalus, in which an excess of fluid surrounds the brain, causing brain damage

a prenatal test using sound waves to make a picture of the unborn child

tube that connects the placenta to the unborn child which nourishes it, gives it oxygen, and takes away wastes

reproductive organ in a woman in which a baby develops