Contraction Health Dictionary

Contraction: From 1 Different Sources


n. the shortening of a muscle in response to a motor nerve impulse. This generates tension in the muscle, usually causing movement.
Health Source: Oxford | Concise Colour Medical Dictionary
Author: Jonathan Law, Elizabeth Martin

Braxton Hicks’ Contractions

Short relatively painless contractions of the uterus during pregnancy.

They may be felt in late pregnancy and are sometimes mistaken for labour pains.... braxton hicks’ contractions

Contractions, Uterine

Spasms of rhythmic, squeezing muscular activity affecting the walls of the uterus during childbirth. Regular contractions indicate the start of labour and increase in strength and frequency throughout the first stage.

(See also Braxton Hicks’ contractions.)... contractions, uterine

Braxton Hicks Contractions

irregular painless contractions of the uterus that occur during pregnancy and may become stronger towards term. [J. Braxton Hicks (1825–97), British obstetrician]

BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes associated with susceptibility to breast and ovarian cancer. Women with mutations in either of these genes have a 56–85% risk of developing breast cancer, and this form of the cancer tends to develop at a relatively young age. The risk of ovarian cancer is 36–66% in women with BRCA1 mutations and 10–20% with BRCA2. Targeted therapy specific to these mutations using a *PARP inhibitor is undergoing investigation.... braxton hicks contractions




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