Bleeding or spotting later in pregnancy may be a sign of a serious problem, like: 1  Preterm labor. This is labor that happens too early, before 37 weeks of pregnancy. 2  Placenta previa. This is when the placenta lies very low in the uterus and covers all or part of the cervix. 3  Placental abruption.
Afferent definition, bringing to or leading toward an organ or part, as a nerve or arteriole (opposed to efferent). See more.
Also describes blood or lymph vessels in which flow is away from some point of reference, e.g. efferent arterioles leaving the glomeruli of the kidney; efferent lymph vessels draining lymph glands. Opposite of afferent.