Highly Commended in the Obstetrics and Gynaecology category at the British Medical Association Book Awards 2008
This book was formerly known as Medicine of the Fetus and Mother and has been highly successful in two previous editions. The change in title reflects the shift in emphasis towards clinical obstetrics and a reduction in the content of basic science.
This book addresses the biology, pathology, and clinical management of disorders affecting the foetus and the mother. The illustrations, including ultrasound scans and colour plates, highlight essential diagnostic features and treatment procedures. The topics covered include: ultrasonographic diagnosis; gene therapy; cord blood sampling; and in-utero cardiac therapy.
This third edition of the textbook, will be accompanied by the Q&A Review book, a self-assessment tool, a review guide, and a searchable CD of the full text with over 100 colour illustrations - at no extra cost!
About the Q & A Review: For each chapter in the textbook, the authors and editors have written multiple choice questions designed to help the reader assess his or her understanding of the material in the book. Questions relate both to the fetus and to the mother with topics ranging from conception to delivery, and including normal processes and disease states of the fetus, as well as diagnostic and therapeutic measures. The answers to all the questions are listed at the end of the book.
The Editors have modernised the main book and increased its usefulness by the addition of 10 or so key points for reader review at the end of each chapter. This revised edition contains new chapters on three-dimensional ultrasound, foetal stem cell therapy, and benign tumours in pregnancy. There is increased coverage of teratogens, infections, second trimester prenatal diagnosis, and foetal diseases, and a greater emphasis on labour and delivery. Also new to this edition are extensive discussions of prenatal diagnosis of congenital malformations using both invasive and noninvasive modalities.
Doody Review Services
**Reviewer:**Gilad A. Gross, MD(Washington University School of Medicine)
**Description:**Although this is the third edition of this book, it is the first with this title, which the authors chose to convey more strongly the notion of the fetus as a patient. This is a fairly comprehensive textbook of obstetrical practice that covers the entire gamut of the reproductive process from conception through fetal development and delivery. The content is presented in a straightforward manner with end of chapter "key points" adding a unique review of important concepts. The previous edition was published in 1992.
**Purpose:**The purpose is to provide a comprehensive text that covers obstetrical practice with an emphasis on the role of the fetus as a patient with issues and morbidities that are unique and separate from those of the mother. These objectives represent the backbone of obstetrics. The scope of information makes this potentially a one stop shop for obstetrical reading. For the most part, the objectives are met. Nearly all aspects of obstetrical practice are covered, but the degree to which topics are addressed is unbalanced at times and the information is not as up-to-date as it could be.
**Audience:**The authors target any person who is studying and practicing obstetrics, both general and perinatal practice. They hope that students/practitioners of all levels will benefit. This is a helpful resource for those studying obstetrics (students, residents) and those needing a comprehensive review (general obstetricians). In addition, it would serve someone preparing for board exams very well. However, I don't believe that the depth of information would be very helpful to the practicing perinatologist, as many topics are covered rather briefly. The authors collectively represent a highly authoritative pool.
**Features:**This book does a good job of covering the very early basics of conception and the complex nature of fetal development. The content is well organized and the book flows easy. The authors have done a terrific job of designing the segments and their chapters. The book has many strengths. The comprehensiveness makes it a worthwhile resource to have. The chapters are written skillfully and are easy to read. The author pool is a significant attraction. Many diagrams and figures are clever and the visuals help in understanding some difficult concepts. The ample ultrasound images are appropriate and demonstrative. End of chapter "key points" are helpful and appreciated. There are not many shortcomings, but there is a curiously disproportionate amount of text on certain topics. A glaring example is a 70-page chapter on fetal skeletal anomalies (ch. 26) compared to just 15 pages on hypertensive disease (ch. 38). Some passages are nearly identical to the first edition, yet clearly warrant an updated angle, such as the paragraphs on fetal lung maturity testing in chapter 6.
**Assessment:**Overall, this is a high quality book that would be valuable for anyone studying/practicing obstetrics. It is impossible to encompass the scope of an entire practice within one book, but this one does a very good job. This is valuable as an excellent starting point in a student's/practitioner's search for answers, recognizing that other sources may be needed for more depth or more up-to-date information. The newest edition has valuable contemporary information.