Chadwick's sign
Encyclopedia
Chadwick's sign is a bluish discoloration of the cervix
, vagina
, and labia caused by the hormone estrogen which results in venous congestion. It can be observed as early as 6-8 weeks after conception, and its presence is an early sign of pregnancy
.
These color changes were discovered in approximately 1836 by French
doctor
Étienne Joseph Jacquemin (1796-1872), and are named after James Read Chadwick
, who drew attention to it in a paper read before the American Gynecological Society in 1886 and published in the following year, wherein he credited Jacquemin for their discovery.
Cervix
The cervix is the lower, narrow portion of the uterus where it joins with the top end of the vagina. It is cylindrical or conical in shape and protrudes through the upper anterior vaginal wall...
, vagina
Vagina
The vagina is a fibromuscular tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles. Female insects and other invertebrates also have a vagina, which is the terminal part of the...
, and labia caused by the hormone estrogen which results in venous congestion. It can be observed as early as 6-8 weeks after conception, and its presence is an early sign of pregnancy
Pregnancy
Pregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
.
These color changes were discovered in approximately 1836 by French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
doctor
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
Étienne Joseph Jacquemin (1796-1872), and are named after James Read Chadwick
James Read Chadwick
James Read Chadwick was an American gynecologist and medical librarian remembered for describing the Chadwick sign of early pregnancy in 1887.- Biography :...
, who drew attention to it in a paper read before the American Gynecological Society in 1886 and published in the following year, wherein he credited Jacquemin for their discovery.