Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

A type of medical procedure for female sterilization akin to tubal ligation. A procedure used in tubal ligation, a sterilization method for women. The doctor makes a small incision near the pubic bone and pulls the fallopian tubes through the opening, ties them off with bands or surgical clips, and stitches the incision closed. This…

A common abnormality in which the foot and toes point somewhat inward because of rotation of the leg or foot; generally left to correct itself but in severe cases corrected surgically. A congenital deformity of the foot involving adduction of the forefoot. When the child walks, the foot toes in.  

A common abnormality in which the foot and toes point somewhat outward because of rotation of the leg or foot; generally left to correct itself but in severe cases corrected surgically.  

A group of genetic disorders that cause disruption of the chemical and physical processes by which food is broken down for use in the body. Dozens of such disorders are known, many of them extremely rare, but each of them caused by a defect in the production of a single enzyme or protein. Many of…

Eyes larger than normal. Abnormally enlarged cornea due to a developmental anomaly.  

A variety of procedures that help doctors diagnose ailments and disorders. Some medical tests are entirely benign, uninvasive, and risk-free, such as at the simplest level the placing of a stethoscope on a child’s chest or collecting a urine sample for testing. By contrast, some tests are invasive that is, they involve intruding into the…

Evaluation of a person’s financial resources to judge eligibility for a benefit. Assistance programs such as Medicaid, food stamps, and Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), for example, are available only to those who do not have the means to pay for them otherwise. The same is true of some kinds of scholarships. Some…

Unpaid time off for a mother before and after childbirth, ideally without prejudice to the mother’s returning to her job on the same level and promotion track. In many large corporations, maternity leave (often of about three months) and related fringe benefits are routinely provided to pregnant women. But in many others, especially smaller firms,…

The period from conception to about six weeks after childbirth. In terms of medical care, the cycle is divided into three periods: prenatal, or antepartal (before the birth); intrapartal (during labor); and postnatal, or postpartal (after the birth), with care offered in the 28 days after the birth also being termed perinatal.  

A free-standing institution one not directly attached to a hospital where women come to give birth, often attended by certified nurse-midwives; also called alternative birthing centers or simply birthing centers. Maternity centers have been developed with the resurgent midwife movement, partly in response to what was seen as the cold, invasive, impersonal nature of what…