This book uniquely explores American cultural values as a factor in maternal health. It looks beyond the social determinants of health as primarily contributing to the escalating maternal morbidity and mortality in the United States.    The United States is an outlier with poor maternal health outcomes and high morbidity/mortality in comparison to other high-resource and many mid-level resource nations. While the social determinants of health identify social and environmental conditions affecting maternal health, they do not answer the broader underlying question of why many American women, in a high-resource environment, experience poor maternal health outcomes. Frequent near-misses, high levels of severe childbearing-related morbidity, and high maternal mortality are comparable to those of lower-resource nations.  This book includes contributions from recognized medical and cultural anthropologists, and diverse clinical and public health professionals. The authors examine American patterns of decision-making from the perspectives of intersecting social, cultural, and medical values influencing maternal health outcomes. Using an interdisciplinary critical analysis approach, the work draws upon decision-making theory and life course theory. Topics explored include: Cultural values as a basis for decision-making Social regard for motherhood Immigrants, refugees and undocumented mothers Cultural conflicts and maternal autonomy Health outcomes among justice-involved mothers Maternal Health and American Cultural Values: Beyond the Social Determinants is an essential resource for clinical and public health practitioners and their students, providing a framework for graduate-level courses in public health, the health sciences, women’s studies, and the social sciences. The book also targets anthropologists, sociologists, and women studies scholars seeking to explain the links between American cultural decision-making and health outcomes. Policy-makers, ethicists, journalists, and advocates for reproductive health justice also would find the text a useful resource.

A potential crisis in human fertility is brewing. As societies become more affluent, they experience changes that have a dramatic impact on reproduction. As average family sizes fall, the selection pressure for high-fertility genes decreases; exacerbated by the IVF industry which allows infertility-linked genes to pass into the next generation. Male fertility rates are low, for many reasons including genetics and exposure to environmental toxins. So, a perfect storm of factors is contriving to drive fertility rates down at unprecedented rates. If we do not recognize the reality of our situation and react accordingly, an uncontrollable decline in population numbers is likely, which we'll be unable to reverse. This book will address, in a unique and multi-faceted way, how the consequences of modern life affects fertility, so that we can consider behavioural, social, medical and environmental changes which could reduce the severity of what is about to come.

The changes that are happening within midwifery are of concern to those within the health care system, the academic world and those whose lives are touched by midwifery care. Failure to Progress reflects on the current situation and questions whether it is the most appropriate way of providing care for the childbearing woman. The book discusses what is happening both within midwifery as well as to midwifery as a profession in the context of social change. Topics covered include:
* the evolution of the midwifes role
* women's issues
* the functioning of the midwife within the health care system
* the effects of organisational change
* the relationships of the midwife with the woman she cares for and with medical practitioners.

All of the contributors to Failure to Progress are actively involved with the provision of care to the childbearing woman, and most are practising midwives. Together they build up a comprehensive picture of midwifery today which will be relevant to all midwifery students, practitioners and policy makers and not least to the consumers of midwifery care.

This accessible book uses case studies to explore issues around intimacy, sexual function and sexual development over the lifespan, introducing applied principles and practices when working with sexuality-related issues. Introducing an easy-to-use 'Reflect and Respond' model as a framework for interactions, this book discusses a broad selection of topics and life stages, including hidden loss, gender identity, disability, early years experiences and older age. Exposing anonymized real-life experiences of intimacy, sexual function, and sexual development from birth to end of life, this book develops the reader's insight into sexual wellbeing and confidence in communicating about it. The experiential learning and research-based content in readable style will educate and inspire readers with an interest in sexual wellbeing and how this impacts on physical and mental health. Demonstrating how being open to talk about sex and intimacy can change lives, this guide is suitable for a wide range of health and social care professionals, including nurses, doctors, occupational therapists, social workers, psychologists and counsellors.

Tavistock Press was established as a co-operative venture between the Tavistock Institute and Routledge & Kegan Paul (RKP) in the 1950s to produce a series of major contributions across the social sciences. This volume is part of a 2001 reissue of a selection of those important works which have since gone out of print, or are difficult to locate. Published by Routledge, 112 volumes in total are being brought together under the name The International Behavioural and Social Sciences Library: Classics from the Tavistock Press. Reproduced here in facsimile, this volume was originally published in 1969 and is available individually. The collection is also available in a number of themed mini-sets of between 5 and 13 volumes, or as a complete collection.

All persons, while different from one another, have the same value: this is the author's relatively uncontroversial starting point. Her end point is not uncontroversial: an ideal of justice as human flourishing, based on each person's unique set of capabilities. Because the book's focus is women's health care, gender justice, a necessary component of justice, is central to examination of the issues. Classical pragmatists and feminist standpoint theorists are enlisted in support of a strategy by which gender justice is promoted. Two features of the book are unique: (1) the topics presented cover the entire life span of women, not just those related to reproduction; (2) a range views about moral status are applied not only to fetuses but also to individuals already born. Attention to these features is intended to facilitate ethical consistency or moral integrity and respect for those who hold different moral views. While delineating and defending the book's perspective, the first section provides an overview of bioethics, critiques prevalent approaches to bioethics and models of the physician-patient relationship, and sketches distinguishing aspects of women's health care that are prevalently neglected. Positions about moral status are also presented. The second section identifies topics that are indirectly as well as directly related to women's health, such as domestic violence and caregiving. Brief cases illustrate variables relevant to each topic. Empirical and theoretical considerations follow each set of cases; these are intended to precipitate more expansive and critical examination of the issues raised. The last section is devoted to an egalitarian ideal that may be pursued throughan ethic of virtue or supererogation rather than obligation. By embracing this ideal, according to the author, moral agents support a more demanding level of morality than guidelines or laws require.

Serious congenital malformations are a major contributor to the infant death rate worldwide. Their nonhereditary causes are multiple and complex, and include infectious and metabolic dangers, disease medication, nutritional inadequacy, medicinal products, environmental agents and pollutants, among them. The cause of many however is still unknown. The wide range of these causes makes the defects of interest to those of a wide range of medical and investigatory backgrounds, especialy clinicians, fundamental scientists, and environmentalists.

1. Prologue.- 2. Is Estrogen A Cellular Signal for Female Genital Tract Epithelium?.- 3. Reciprocal Tissue Interactions in Morphogenesis and Hormonal Responsiveness of the Female Reproductive Tract.- 4. Qualitative and Quantitative Morphology of Induction in Endometrial Epithelium.- 5. Interactions of Estrogens, Protooncogenes and Growth Factors.- 6. Expression of Metallothionein Genes in Preimplantation Embryos, Decidua and Placentae.- 7. Uterine Preparation for Blastocyst Attachment.- 8. Uterine Extracellular Matrix Remodeling in Pregnancy.- 9. Glycoprotein Expression and Function in Embryo-Uterine Interactions.- 10. Uterine-Conceptus Interactions During the Peri-implantation Period.- 11. Endocrine Functions of the Rodent Placenta: Placental Lactogens.- 12. The Origin and Role of Cytokines Determining Success and Failure in the Post-implantation Period.- 13. Epilogue.- Poster Presentations.- Contributors.

This book aims to provide an up-to-date review of the literature in each of the major areas relating to the management of older gynecological cancer patients, and makes recommendations for best practice and future research. The authors come from a broad geographic spread including the UK, mainland Europe and North America to ensure a worldwide relevance.

This is a study of the work and life of district midwives from 1948 to 1972 in Nottingham, which was one of the last UK cities to build a central maternity unit. The author statistically examines the outcome of home births in the area, taking into account the Parliamentary Reports of 1992 and 1993 and demonstrating the safety and value to society of district midwives.

This volume examines one health issue -- breast implants -- across a series of contexts often thought to be separate -- media coverage, doctor-patient interaction, doctor-doctor professional communication, support group dialogues, public relations campaigns, and more. In so doing, it provides a narrative of how communication shapes the individual perceptions of health, government, and social policy concerning health care.
At the core of the silicone breast implant controversy is the need for people to act amid uncertainty about the health risks involved. This need to weigh action in the midst of uncertain risk characterizes a large number of health issues. The attempts of patients, physicians, drug manufacturers, and others to seek and provide both information and influence makes communication central to these issues. Consequently, the questions explored in this volume will interest a diverse group of readers. This audience includes plastic surgeons in particular, physicians in general, and anyone involved with women's health issues. As the medical profession struggles with its identity amid changes in public attitudes, government regulations, and medical practices, this volume's findings concerning media portrayals of doctors and medical devices become even more important.
Finally, this study reveals how interrelated public information and private decisions are, and how closely media and interpersonal relationships fit. Tracing one medical issue across interpersonal, organizational, public relations, and mediated forums has clearly demonstrated the multiple ways those communication channels overlap and inform one another.

Representing the most relevant procedures and technologies aiding the advance of the field of HPV-mediated carcinogenesis of the cervix and other anatomical regions of squamocolumnar transition, such as the anorectum, penis, and oropharynx, Cervical Cancer: Methods and Protocols compiles a detailed collection of practical chapters. The first half of the book covers HPV types, pathogenesis of cervical cancer (CxCA), prevention, and novel potential drug targets, while the second half explores pathology, genomics, modeling of CxCA, and experimental therapeutic strategies. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and vital, Cervical Cancer: Methods and Protocols serves as a valuable resource to both bench scientists and clinicians who step into the realm of high-risk HPVs and CxCA for the first time or those who wish to learn novel approaches or expand their toolbox for the study of CxCA.

This text introduces readers to the diverse and unique ways art therapy is used with women who are undergoing various stages of the childbearing process, including conception, pregnancy, miscarriage, childbirth, and postpartum. Art Therapy and Childbearing Issues discusses a range of topics including the role of transference/countertransference, attachment and maternal tasks, and neuropsychology. The book also addresses several motifs that are outside cultural norms of pregnancy and childbearing, such as racial sociopolitical issues, grief and loss, palliative care, midwifery, menstruation, sex-trafficking, disadvantaged populations, and incarceration. Each chapter offers research, modalities, case studies and suggestions on how to work in this field in a new way, accompanied by visual representations of different therapy methods and practices. The approachable style will appeal to a range of readers who will come away with a new awareness of art therapy and a greater knowledge of how to work with women as they enter and exit this universal, psychobiological experience.

Here is an informative book that provides theoretical perspectives on the study of fetal movement and introduces observational assessments that can be used in fetal research. It provides research tools that can be used to delineate early patterns of movement, preparing therapists for neonatal intervention and leading to a better understanding of functional activity of the fetus. Concepts in Fetal Movement Research describes various ideas in fetal development and contains original research on a variety of topics, including: the way in which events experienced in utero help neonatal interaction with parents inductive and deductive approaches to assessment development scapular movement activity/inactivity of the 12-20 week old fetus two different research tools for assessing fetal movement. future directions for research by physical therapists in collaboration with other researchersResearchers, clinicians, obstetricians, radiologists, sonographers, and neonatologists will all find this book full of helpful information. Concepts in Fetal Movement Research is an invaluable guide for both their research and their day-to-day work with patients.

This book covers several aspects of perinatal tissue-derived stem cells, from theoretical concepts to clinical applications. Topics include functions and different sources, immunomodulatory properties, translational point of view, GMP facility design and manufacturing for clinical translation, therapeutic potentials, and finally ethical considerations. The text provides a brief review of each type of perinatal stem cells and then focuses on their multi- or pluripotent properties, regenerative capacity, and future therapeutic potential in regenerative medicine. Additionally, the book discusses GMP compliance in stem cell facilities and the manufacture of stem cells for clinical translation. The chapters are authored by world-renowned experts in the perinatal stem cell field. Perinatal Tissue-Derived Stem Cells: Alternative Sources of Fetal Stem Cells, part of Springer's Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine series, is essential reading for basic and clinical scientists, clinicians, and pharmaceutical experts working or conducting research in the fields of stem cell biology, molecular aspects of stem cell research, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and cellular therapy.

Infectious diseases remain a major problem for physicians and other health professionals dealing with problems of the reproductive system. Accordingly, this two-volume comprehensive presentation of infectious diseases involving the male and female reproductive systems promises to be a major contribution in this field and to fill a much-needed vacuum. During the past three decades, the introduction of antimicrobial therapy has dramatically altered both the clinical presentation and the therapeutic approaches employed in dealing with the traditional infections of the repro ductive system. In addition, the changing demographics of infectious problems in the industrial countries and the developing world have been a source of concern. A good deal of important information on this topic is included in this series. In recent years, considerable attention has been given to the role of Myco plasma and Chlamydia in both male and female infertility and the problems related to genital herpes and human papilloma virus infections. Current clinical information is included on these infections as well as on newer aspects of diagnosis, such as the use of laparoscopy in the diagnosis and treatment of pelvic inflammatory disease. Also addressed is new information regarding the role of actinomycosis in pelvic infections; current problems such as toxic shock syndrome and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) are reviewed as well. New concepts are included in these vohimes to complement the clinical information. The attachment of microbial organisms to sperm may help to explain access of these and other organisms to the upper female genital tract.

It seems like every time a new mother turns on her computer, radio, or television, she is greeted with news of yet another scientific study about infancy. Ignoring good information isn't the right course, but just how does one tell the difference between solid studies, preliminary results, and snake oil? In this friendly guide through the science of infancy, Science of Mom blogger and PhD scientist Alice Callahan explains how non-scientist mothers can learn the difference between hype and evidence. Readers of Alice's blog have come to trust her balanced approach, which explains the science that lies behind headlines. The Science of Mom is a fascinating, eye-opening, and extremely informative exploration of the topics that generate discussion and debate in the media and among parents. From breastfeeding to vaccines to sleep, Alice's advice will help you make smart choices so that you can relax and enjoy your baby.

This is the third volume on gastrointestinal cancer of the Cancer Treatment and Research Series. The emphasis in this volume is to present a series of papers on areas of high clinical relevance in malignant diseases of the gut. As in the first and second volumes of this series, authors have been selected for their expertise and national and international prominence in their fields. This volume is organized so that papers explaining basic science pro spec tives proceed those dealing with clinical aspects of gastrointestinal cancer. It is clear that in many instances advances gastrointestinal carcinoma cannot be effectively treated if ' cure' is the desired goal. When faced with poorly treatable diseases it is obviously important to look toward the causes and prevention of these illnesses. For this reason, there are several chapters in this volume that examine the issue of carcinogenesis of gastrointestinal cancer. Likewise, in diseases that are poorly treatable in advances stages, one is interested in early detection. Thus, early screening of populations becomes important and is dealt with in three papers in this volume. Chapt ers on treatment explore innovative approaches to therapy of gastrointesti nal cancer. Second-look surgery with resection, arterial perfusion with che motherapy, adjuvant therapy and neoadjuvant therapy are all addressed in various chapters in this volume. Finally, four chapters deal with unusual problems in gastrointestinal cancer. These papers include discussions ofpri mary hepatobillary cancer, lymphoma of the gut, and gastrointestinal endo crine tumors."

Pelvic Organ Prolapse, or POP, is a little talked about female health issue that half of all childbearing women will experience late in life. There are more than 300,000 surgeries for POP annually. Due to various causes such as menopause, estrogen loss, genetics, childbirth or heavy lifting, a woman's pelvic organs can shift or drop. This can lead to POP symptoms, including some painful and embarrassing ones, as well as impacting a woman's sexuality. The condition has probably always existed, but has received little press or public acknowledgement so women could learn about the condition and treatment options. This book on POP fills an unfortunate void in women's health awareness. Sherrie Palm writes about her own personal experiences in Pelvic Organ Prolapse: The Silent Epidemic. She had never heard about the condition until she needed surgery for it. Palm explores the subject from all angles, providing the information women need to recognize the symptoms of POP and to become advocates for their own health. Pelvic Organ Prolapse: The Silent Epidemic named the winner for Women's Health in the USA Book News National "BEST BOOKS 2009" Awards. http://www.usabooknews.com/2009bestbooksawards. html More information about Sherrie Palm, and how she is creating awareness for this women's health issue can be found on her website: http://sherriepalm.com/home About the Author: First-time author Sherrie Palm is a retired business owner. She lives in Wisconsin with her significant other; she has four children and seven grandchildren. Palm plans to conduct educational seminars on POP. She is also actively involved with the local Special Olympics and will donate a portion of the book's proceeds to the group.

Nurse Barb provides a wealth of advice to guide readers through the hormonal roller coaster of menopause.