effacement /ef·face·ment/ (ĕ-fās´ment) the obliteration of features; said of the cervix during labor when it is so changed that only the external os remains.
Effacement
effacement
effacement [ĕ-fās´ment]
Effacement
The thinning out of the cervix that normally occurs along with dilation shortly before delivery.
Mentioned in: Incompetent Cervix
effacement
[ifās′mənt]
Etymology: Fr, effacer, to erase
the shortening of the vaginal portion of the cervix and thinning of its walls as it is stretched and dilated by the fetus during labor. When the cervix is fully effaced, the constrictive neck of the uterus is obliterated; the cervix is then continuous with the lower uterine segment. The extent of effacement, determined by vaginal examination, is expressed as a percentage of full effacement. See also birth, cervix, dilation, station.
effacement [ĕ-fās´ment]
the obliteration of form or features; said of the cervix uteri during labor when it shortens from 1 or 2 cm in length to paper thin and there is no longer a cervical canal but only an external cervical os.
Cervical dilation and effacement. During labor, the multigravida's cervix remains thicker than that of the nullipara. From McKinney et al., 2000.
effacement
the obliteration of form or features; applied to the cervix uteri during labor when it is so changed that only the ostium uteri remains.
effacement
Obstetrics The process that occurs during the last month of pregnancy, extending through the 1st stage of labor in which the cervix and endocervix become thinner and shorter; the canal is thus converted from a tube
to a flaring funnel
Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content.
| ?Page tools | ||
|---|---|---|
|