BPD
Abbreviation with 3 meanings
| Stands for | Borderline personality disorder |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 3 |
| Categories | Medical |
BPD has three meanings. The most common are Borderline personality disorder (mental health & psychiatry) and Biparietal diameter (obstetrics & gynecology); it can also stand for Bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
Meanings of BPD at a glance
| # | BPD stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Borderline personality disorder | Medical › Mental Health & Psychiatry |
| 2 | Biparietal diameter | Medical › Obstetrics & Gynecology |
| 3 | Bronchopulmonary dysplasia | Medical › Respiratory |
1. Borderline personality disorder
Medical · Mental Health & Psychiatry Abbreviations
Personality disorder marked by instability in relationships, self-image and emotions, intense fear of abandonment, impulsivity, chronic emptiness, intense anger, and recurrent self-harm or suicidal behavior. Dialectical behavior therapy was developed for it, and many patients improve substantially over time.
Example: BPD with recurrent self-harm and emotional dysregulation; enroll in 12-month DBT program.
The name comes from an old idea that it lay on the border between neurosis and psychosis. Long-term studies show most people with BPD achieve remission of symptoms over a decade, contradicting the old view that it is untreatable. Medication plays only a supporting role. In ICD-10 and UK practice it corresponds to emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD). In pediatrics BPD means bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and in obstetric ultrasound biparietal diameter.
2. Biparietal diameter
Medical · Obstetrics & Gynecology Abbreviations
Ultrasound measurement of the fetal head across its widest point, between the two parietal bones, used with head circumference, abdominal circumference and femur length to estimate gestational age and fetal weight in the second and third trimesters.
Example: Growth scan: BPD 82 mm, HC 30 cm, AC 29 cm, FL 63 mm; EFW 2,100 g (45th percentile).
BPD becomes less reliable for dating late in pregnancy and when the head is unusually shaped. Formulas developed by Hadlock and colleagues in the 1980s combine these measurements into an estimated fetal weight. In pediatrics BPD means bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and in psychiatry borderline personality disorder.
3. Bronchopulmonary dysplasia
Medical · Respiratory Abbreviations
Chronic lung disease of premature infants, especially those born before 28 weeks, resulting from lung immaturity combined with injury from ventilation, oxygen and inflammation. It is defined by the need for breathing support or supplemental oxygen at 36 weeks of postmenstrual age.
Example: Former 25-weeker with BPD discharged on 1/8 L nasal cannula and diuretics.
First described by William Northway in 1967 in babies treated with mechanical ventilation. The "new BPD" seen today reflects disrupted lung development in extremely premature infants rather than ventilator damage alone. Many children improve over time, but some have lasting airway disease. In psychiatry BPD means borderline personality disorder, a far more common meaning outside neonatology.
Related abbreviations
More mental health & psychiatry abbreviations
- BED – Binge eating disorder
- BH – Behavioral health
- BN – Bulimia nervosa
- BPAD – Bipolar affective disorder
- C-PTSD – Complex post-traumatic stress disorder
- C-SSRS – Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale
- CAGE – Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener (questionnaire)
- CBT – Cognitive behavioral therapy
See all 100 mental health & psychiatry abbreviations →
More obstetrics & gynecology abbreviations
- ART – Assisted reproductive technology
- ASC-US – Atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance
- AUB – Abnormal uterine bleeding
- BCP – Birth control pill
- BPP – Biophysical profile
- BSO – Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy
- BTL – Bilateral tubal ligation
- BV – Bacterial vaginosis
See all 89 obstetrics & gynecology abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.