Features Glossary

Below is a glossary of important clinical and statistical terms used across the prediction tools on this site:

• cffDNA: Cell-free fetal DNA test, which helps assess the risk of preeclampsia and other pregnancy-related complications.
• MAP (Mean Arterial Pressure): The average blood pressure in an individual during a single cardiac cycle, which is a key indicator of preeclampsia risk.
• PLGF (Placental Growth Factor): A protein involved in angiogenesis and placental development; low levels of PLGF are associated with preeclampsia.
• SFLT1 (Soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1): A protein that inhibits vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and placental growth factor (PLGF); elevated levels are indicative of preeclampsia.
• SFLT1/PLGF Ratio: A ratio of the soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 to placental growth factor, which is used as a marker for preeclampsia risk.
• Blood Type: The patient's blood group, which can affect pregnancy outcomes.
• Nulliparous: A term used to describe a woman who has never given birth to a viable offspring.
• Diabetes Mellitus (DM): A chronic condition affecting blood sugar regulation; women with diabetes are at a higher risk for preeclampsia.
• Gestational Age (GA): The duration of pregnancy, usually measured in weeks from the first day of the last menstrual period.
• Pregnancy Trimester: Refers to the three stages of pregnancy: the first trimester (0-12 weeks), second trimester (13-26 weeks), and third trimester (27 weeks to delivery).
• Twins Pregnancy: A pregnancy involving two fetuses, which can increase the likelihood of complications such as preeclampsia.
• Blood Pressure at Admission: The maternal blood pressure measured upon admission to the healthcare facility, which is a crucial indicator for preeclampsia risk.
• History of Previous Hospitalizations: The number of hospital admissions the patient has had during the current pregnancy, which can indicate heightened risk.
• Fetal Weight: The estimated weight of the fetus, which may influence the prediction of preeclampsia in twin pregnancies.
• EFW (Estimated Fetal Weight): The weight of the fetus estimated from ultrasound biometry at the time of the scan, in grams.
• Birth-weight Centile: The newborn's weight expressed as a percentile against babies born at the same gestational week — 50 is the median, below 10 is small for gestational age.
• Birth-weight Z-score: The same comparison expressed in standard deviations from the mean for that gestational week (0 = median). It converts to a centile through the normal distribution.
• SGA (Small for Gestational Age): A newborn whose birth weight falls below the 10th centile for its gestational age; below the 3rd centile is considered severe.
• LGA (Large for Gestational Age): A newborn whose birth weight is above the 90th centile for its gestational age.
• Uterine Artery PI (Pulsatility Index): A Doppler measure of resistance to blood flow in the uterine arteries. Usually reported as a MoM — a multiple of the median for that gestational age, where 1.0 is the median — with raised values suggesting impaired placentation.