Originally published in 1986, this book examines the history of midwifery, concentrating on 19th and 20th Century Britain. It shows how the evolution of the midwife has been influenced by cultural waves which started in the Near East and Egypt in pre-classical times and slowly spread Northwards and Eastwards over Europe. The authors emphasize the effects of specialization and professionalization upon midwifery and also the influence of male authority and interest group politics. The evolution of the educated qualified midwife of the 20th Century is recorded, leading up to the ongoing debates about high technology birth vis-a-vis natural birth and home deliveries.

This cutting-edge text for surgeons specializing in Reproductive Medicine details how the latest minimally invasive developments impact on operations in their repertoire. Illustrated with color photographs and surgical videos, this will be an essential reference in a fast-moving field.

This second edition updates the reader on the most common intrauterine transmitted viral infection, CMV. The history of this disease, its pathophysiological background, epidemiology and symptoms, as well as diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, will be discussed in detail. Further a section specifically dedicated to prevention measures is included to the new edition. The chapter on virus-host interaction for defense and transmission is elaborately updated.

Infertility Comics and Graphic Medicine examines women's graphic memoirs on infertility, foregrounding the complex interrelationship between women's life writing, infertility studies, and graphic medicine. Through a scholarly examination of the artists' use of visual-verbal codes of the comics medium in narrating their physical ordeals and affective challenges occasioned by infertility, the book seeks to foreground the intricacies of gender identity, embodiment, subjectivity, and illness experience. Providing long-overdue scholarly attention on the perspectives of autobiographical and comics studies, the authors examine the gendered nature of the infertility experience and the notion of motherhood as an ideological force which interpolates socio-cultural discourses, accentuating the potential of graphic medicine as a creative space for the infertile women to voice their hitherto silenced perspectives on childlessness with force and urgency. This interdisciplinary volume will be of interest to scholars and students in comics studies, the health humanities, literature, and women's and gender studies, and will also be suitable for readers in visual studies and narrative medicine.

This book presents the contemporary history and dynamics of Mexican midwifery - professional, (post)modern or autonomous, traditional and Indigenous - as profoundly political and embedded in differing societal stratifications. By situated politics, the authors refer to various networks, spaces and territories, which are also constructed by the midwives. By politically situated, the authors refer to various intersections, unsettled relations and contexts in which Mexican midwives are positioned. Examining Mexican midwiferies in depth, the volume sharpens the focus on the worlds in which midwives are profoundly immersed as agents in generating and participating in movements, alliances, health professions, communities, homes, territories and knowledges. The chapters provide a complex panorama of midwives in Mexico with an array of insights into their professional and political autonomy, (post)coloniality, body-territoriality, the challenges of defining midwifery, and above all, into the ways in which contemporary Mexican midwiferies relate to a complex set of human rights. The book will be of interest to a range of scholars from anthropology, sociology, politics, global health, gender studies, development studies, and Latin American studies, as well as to midwives and other professionals involved in childbirth policy and practice.

This second edition offers an expanded and updated history of the field of fetal and neonatal development, allowing readers to gain a comprehensive understanding of the biological aspects that contribute to the wellbeing or pathophysiology of newborns. In this concluding opus of a long and prominent career as a clinical scientist, Dr. Longo has invited new contributions from noted colleagues with expertise in various fields to provide a historical perspective on the impact of how modern concepts emerged in the field of fetal physiology and contributed to the current attention paid to the fetal origins of diseases in adults. In addition to new chapters on maternal physiology and complications during pregnancy, others trace the history of the Society for Reproductive Investigation, governmental funding of perinatal research, and major initiatives to support training in the new discipline of maternal fetal medicine, including the Reproductive Scientist Development program. The extensive survey provided by the author, who personally knew most of the pioneers in the field, offers a unique guide for all clinical and basic scientists interested in the history of - and future approaches to diagnosing and treating - pathologies that represent the leading causes of neonatal mortality and, far too often, life-long morbidity.

Titles in the Pocket Tutor series give practical guidance on subjects that medical students and foundation doctors need help with 'on the go', at a highly-affordable price that puts them within reach of those rotating through modular courses or working on attachment. Topics reflect information needs stemming from today's integrated undergraduate and foundation courses: Common presentations Investigation options (e.g. ECG, imaging) Clinical and patient-orientated skills (e.g. examinations, history-taking) The highly-structured, bite-size content helps novices combat the 'fear factor' associated with day-to-day clinical training and provides a detailed resource that students and junior doctors can carry in their pocket. Key points Logical, building-block approach to content: initial chapters outline the basic approach to gynaecological history and examination, and essential pelvic anatomy Subsequent chapters describe physiology and pathology of women at all stages of life from puberty, to reproductive age, to menopause; and associated disorders such as congenital disorders, menstrual disorders, genital diseases, and pelvic organ prolapse Concludes with chapter on gynaecological oncology Disorders are accompanied by medical images, examination photos and practical artworks Focuses on the conditions medical students and junior doctors are most likely to see

Meningitis and Encephalitis are associated with high rates of mortality and neurological sequelae. The differential diagnosis includes a wide spectrum of infectious and non-infectious etiologies, some requiring urgent therapy for survival. The current management challenges in patients with meningitis and encephalitis include a low sensitivity of meningeal signs, overutilization of unnecessary screening cranial imaging, delays in diagnosis of urgent treatable causes, a large proportion of unknown etiologies, low sensitivity of current microbiological techniques especially in the setting of previous antibiotic therapy, underutilization of available molecular diagnostic tests, and empiric antibiotic therapy and hospitalization for viral meningitis cases. Even though there are published guidelines, compliance with them is not optimal and physicians do not follow standardized algorithms in their empirical approach. As meningitis and encephalitis is associated with high rates of adverse clinical outcomes, prevention, when feasible is of upmost importance. Adherence to protocols to prevent health-care associated meningitis and ventriculitis are effective but compliance with them is not uniformly performed. This book seeks to improve outcomes for meningitis and encephalitis cases handled by physicians who may or may not be thoroughly trained for these challenges. The text introduces the current guidelines but also discusses the gaps that leave clinicians struggling to implement the most appropriate approaches for these particular neurological infections. Each chapter delivers the tools necessary to identify and adhere to the most appropriate diagnostic technique, management protocols, and prevention approach for each situation. All chapters conclude with discourse on future directions in research and quality improvement. Written by experts in infectious diseases, the book covers topics that are the most devastating, including healthcare-acquired infections, autoimmune encephalitis, and infections as they present in HIV patients. Meningitis and Encephalitis is a well-rounded resource for all medical professionals encountering these neurological syndromes, including infectious disease specialists, neurologists, primary care physicians, and immunologists.

Congenital malformations are worldwide occurrences striking in every condition of society. These severe physical abnormalities which are present at birth and affecting every part of the body happen more often than usually realized, once in every 33 births. The most common, after heart defects, are those of the neural tube (the brain and spinal cord) which happen in as many as one in every 350 births. They have been noted as curiousities in man and beast throughout recorded history and received great attention in our time by various fields of study, for example, their faulty prenatal development by embryologists, familial patterns by geneticists, causation by environmentalists and variability by population scientists.

Attention turned much in recent years to the relation of these malformations to deficiency of a particular dietary ingredient, folic acid, a subject this book analyzes in depth. The greatest conundrum of all, which this latest matter like so much else hinges on, is the amazing fact of the tremendous, almost universal decrease in the frequency of these anomalies since early in the 20th century. The puzzle is 'What can this downward trend possibly mean?' and at bottom 'Whether it is part of a long-term cyclical pattern'. This fascinating biological phenomenon is explored in the book together with various other topics.

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.

Mindfulness in the Birth Sphere draws together and critically appraises a raft of emerging research around mindfulness in healthcare, looking especially at its relevance to pregnancy and childbirth. Divided into three parts, this reflective book: * Investigates the phenomena of mindfulness through discussions of neuroscience, an indigenous worldview and research methods. * Develops the concept of mindfulness for use in practice with women/and babies across the continuum of childbirth. It includes chapters on birth environments, intrapartum care, mental health, fertility, breastfeeding and parenting among others. * Explores mindfulness as a tool for birth practitioners and educators, promoting self-care, resilience and compassion. Each chapter discusses specific research, evidence and experiences of mindfulness, including practical advice and an example of a mindfulness practice. This is an essential read for all those interested in mindfulness in connection to pregnancy and childbirth, including midwives, doulas, doctors and birth activists, whether involved in practice, research or education.

The book provides a reference for years to come, written by world-renowned expert investigators studying sex differences, the role of sex hormones, the systems biology of sex, and the genetic contribution of sex chromosomes to metabolic homeostasis and diseases. In this volume, leaders of the pharmaceutical industry present their views on sex-specific drug discovery. Many of the authors presented at the Keystone Symposium on "Sex and gender factors affecting metabolic homeostasis, diabetes and obesity" to be held in March 2017 in Lake Tahoe, CA. This book will generate new knowledge and ideas on the importance of gender biology and medicine from a molecular standpoint to the population level and to provide the methods to study them. It is intended to be a catalyst leading to gender-specific treatments of metabolic diseases. There are fundamental aspects of metabolic homeostasis that are regulated differently in males and females, and influence both the development of diabetes and obesity and the response to pharmacological intervention. Still, most preclinical researchers avoid studying female rodents due to the added complexity of research plans. The consequence is a generation of data that risks being relevant to only half of the population. This is a timely moment to publish a book on sex differences in diseases as NIH leadership has asked scientists to consider sex as a biological variable in preclinical research, to ensure that women get the same benefit of medical research as men.

Originally published in 1977 and as a second edition in 1988, this book introduces the reader to the women at the top of the midwifery profession up until the 17th Century who attended the aristocracy and Royalty. The author shows how their successors were gradually driven out of the better paid work until in the middle of the 19th Century it appeared that attendance on childbearing women would inevitably become the male monopoly it has virtually become in North America. This downward trend was reversed, thanks to efforts to preserve for women the choice of female attendance in childbirth and also to the labour of philanthropists to improve maternity services to the poor. However, the drive for the institutionalization and mechanization of childbirth during the 20th Century as well as a chronic shortage of midwives, has once again shone a spotlight on the profession. This unique history of developments in midwifery will be of interest to students of medical politics, 19th Century social history, the sociology of the professions and gender studies.

Chronic Pelvic Pain: Evaluation and Management presents a clinically oriented, multi-disciplinary approach to the diagnosis, treatment, and management of chronic pelvic pain in women -- one of the most common problems encountered in the practice setting. The editors present this challenging and often vexing subject in a practical, user-friendly, highly illustrated text, including chapters on: physiology of pain; pain associated with endometriosis; pain associated with fibroids; surgical management; the role of office based surgery; the role of the psychiatrist in pain management; pelvic pain of urinary origin; pelvic pain of gastrointestinal origin. Designed to be incorporated into the every day practice, this book is a must for all clinicians in obstetrics-gynecology as well as for any physician involved in the health care of women.

This book brings together an international collection of experts in reproductive ethics, law, disability studies, and medicine to explore the challenging future of reproduction and children. From the medical to the social and from the financial to the legal, the authors explore the expanding impact of reproductive genetics on our society. New advances in genetic technologies are revolutionizing the practice of reproductive medicine. We have expanded our ability to detect genetic changes in embryos and fetuses in ways that potentially allow to identify, treat, or prevent a growing range of diseases. The development of gene-editing technologies raises questions about the possibility of removing disease-causing variants from embryos before pregnancy implantation. The growing sophistication of prenatal genomic sequencing offers us glimpses into the whole genome of the developing fetus. And, the increasingly sophisticated science of 'gene matching' allows us greater and greater foreknowledge of how the genomes of two individuals will combine in a future child. This is an indispensable book on the newest developments in bioethics caused by the sciences. Chapter 5 is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

A collection of cutting-edge laboratory techniques for the study of trophoblast and placental biology. The techniques presented range from experimental animal models, to animal and human placental organ and cell culture systems, to morphological, biochemical, and molecular strategies for assessing trophoblast/placental growth, differentiation and function. Volume 1 provides readily reproducible protocols for studying embryo-uterine implantation, trophoblast cell development, and the organization and molecular characterization of the placenta. Highlights include strategies for the isolation and culture of trophoblast cells from primates, ruminants, and rodents, and precise guidance to the molecular and cellular analysis of the placental phenotype. A companion second volume concentrates on methods for investigating placental function.

The authors address in particular the role of hormones and their links with other maternal environmental mediators in developmental programming. The crucial nature of the placenta as an interface and target between maternal and foetal environments is addressed. Emphasis is made on the emerging science of epigenetics as a potential explanation for how environmental events that occur during brief windows of development may exert effects that impact upon somatic cells through many rounds of mitosis for much of the life span of the subsequent organism.

This book presents models describing HIV transmission rates at population level, discussing the main statistical methods and analytical interventions. It also assesses the practical applicability of the various modelling techniques, offering readers insights into what methods are available and, more importantly, when they should be used to address HIV transmission at global level. The book includes realistic simulation models fitted to clarify the rate of HIV mother-to-child transmission (HIV MTCT), and substantiates the conclusions that can be drawn as well as the appropriate time for making global-level clinical decisions concerning people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIVs). Intended for students, academics and researchers, the book offers more than just an introduction to the topic - it also features in-depth, yet easy-to-understand, descriptions of a new mathematical/statistical HIV mother-to-child transmission model, making it a useful resource for clinicians, public health workers and policymakers involved in implementing HIV-prevention programmes at national /global level.

List of Contributors xviii An Aging Humankind: New Realities E. Dicgalusy Does Menopause Increase the Risk of Coronary Heart Disease? M.V. Huisrnan Chronic Low-Grade Metabolic Acidosis in Normal Adult Humans: Pathophysiology and Consequences L. Frassetto, R.C. Morris, Jr., K. Todd, and A. Sebastian The Menopause, Sex Hormones, and Rheumatic Disease G. Hall Novel Mechanisms of Estrogen Action J.-A. Gustafsson The Action of Ovarian Steroid Hormones on Tissues and Organs M.J. Legato Nongenomic Mechanisms of Sex Hormones J.H.H. Thijssen Action of Specific Estrogens on Vascular Cells C.S. Wingrove and J.C. Stevenson Direct Actions of Estrogen on Vascular Cells Ameliorates Response to hjury D. W. Losordo ix Newer Progestogens G. Samsioe IV. 11. Cardiovascular Disease: Risk Factors Related to Thrombosis G. de Gaetano, M.B. Donati, and L. Iacoviello Estrogen Effect upon Coronary Vasculature G.M.C. Rosano, F. Leonardo, and G. Panina Estrogen and Endothelial Function A. Virdis, L. Ghiadoni, I. Sudano, S. Pinto, S. Taddei, and A. Salvetti Action of Specific Estrogens on the Coronary Artery: Effects on Lipoproteins, Coagulation, and Fibrinolysis J.M. Sullivan Coronary Heart Disease in Women: Status 1998 N. K. Wenger Introduction to Osteoporosis C. Christiansen Genetics of Osteoporosis L. Masi, L. Gennari, A. Falchetti, and M.L. Brandi The Clinical Management of Osteoporosis S.E. Papapou los VI.

Modern imaging methods have made it possible to detect breast cancer at an earlier stage than in the past. Nevertheless, a large majority of suspicious findings at screening subsequently prove to be benign. It is therefore important to be able to identify benign lesions in a manner that is reliable, tissue sparing, patient friendly, and cost-effective. More than 70% of breast biopsies can now be performed using minimally invasive procedures that meet these criteria. This book examines in detail vacuum-assisted minimally invasive breast biopsy systems (ATEC, EnCor, Intact, Mammotome and Vacora), stereotactic systems, MRI-guided procedures, and ductoscopy. Further chapters are devoted to the pathology of the breast tissue obtained using these procedures, their limitations, the implications of recent advances in breast imaging, and the results of cost-benefit analyses. The closing chapter provides a systematic review and meta-analysis of recent data.

In this book, Dean-Jones gives a close analysis of theories concerning women's bodies in such authors as the Hippocratics and Aristotle. She demonstrates the centrality of menstruation in classical theories of female physiology, pathology, and reproduction, and suggests that this had both negative and positive repercussions in attitudes towards women's bodies in that society. In particular, she argues that many of the medical principles governing clinical practice on male patients derived from the observation that healthy women menstruate and women who are seriously ill tend not to. She also uses modern anthropological theories to explain the contrast between the abundant menstrual references in the medical literature and the dearth of references to menstruation in more canonical Greek literature. Many of the primary sources dealt with are not yet accessible in English, and to date research done on this material has appeared only in discrete articles, in several languages, and scattered in various publications. In addition to presenting many original theories, the book is important in assembling and presenting both original texts and the results of scholarly research on these texts in a way that is fully accessible to the non-specialist.

This first-of-its-kind handbook offers crucial information on the safety of drugs taken during pregnancy. It covers an exhaustive list of common and less common drugs and provides for each drug the FDA letter categorization and newly approved "Pregnancy and Lactation Labeling Rule (PLLR)" systems for rating drug risks in pregnancy, imposed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Drugs in Pregnancy: A Handbook for Pharmacists and Physicians covers the pregnancy ramifications of using anti-infective, cardiovascular, hematologic, dermatologic drugs and drugs affecting the endocrine, central, autonomic, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal systems in addition to herbs, vitamins and dietary supplements. To enable the reader to develop well-informed knowledge about a drug safety profile during pregnancy, three sections of data have been provided for each drug: FDA Category, Risk Summary, and Further Reading.

Few dermatologic problems carry as many emotional overtones as hair loss in women, which is by far the most common hair problem encountered in daily clinical practice. Fortunately, a specific diagnosis can usually be established through the application of appropriate examinations and tests, and treatment suited to the diagnosis is likely to control the problem. This comprehensively illustrated monograph provides both specialists and primary care physicians with the practical know-how required for successful management of hair loss in female patients of all ages. The book opens by critically examining various myths about hair loss. The different examination techniques are then described, and the various forms of hair loss and their treatment are discussed in detail. Approaches to follow-up are outlined, and the management of patient expectations is carefully considered. The potential role of hair care and cosmetics is also explored in some depth. "

This book examines the future of birthing practices, particularly by focusing on epidural analgesia in childbirth. It describes historical and cultural trajectories that have shaped the way in which birth is understood in Western, developed nations. In setting out the nature of epidural history, knowledge and practice, the book delves into related birth practices within the hospital setting. By critically examining these practices, which are embedded in a scientific discourse that rationalises and relies upon technology use, the authors argue that epidural analgesia has been positioned as a safe technology in contemporary maternity culture, despite it carrying particular risks. In examining alternative research the book proposes that increasing epidural rates are not only due to greater pain relief requirements or access but are influenced by technocratic values and a fragmented maternity system. The authors outline the way in which this epidural discourse influences how information is presented to women and how this affects their choices around the use of pain relief in labour.

The ideal of equality constitutes a criterion for assessing current practice through attention to differences among individuals and groups. Inequality occurs when irrelevant differences are invoked in order to secure power or advantages over others. This book examines health care issues from an egalitarian perspective, focusing particularly on those that affect the lives of women and children. These are some of the most hotly debated, controversial, yet genuinely humanitarian issues of our time. They include gender stereotypes in medicine and in adolescent socialization, fertility curtailment and enhancement, coercive treatment during pregnancy, fetal tissue transplantation, decisions regarding newborns, decision-making by minors, the feminization of poverty and its impact on women's and children's health, and the meaning and role of "family" in health care decisions. The book describes a case-based or "feminine" model of reasoning as appropriate to the health care setting, but also as a possible rationale for exploitation of women. Different versions of feminism are clearly explained and specifically related to care-based reasoning. To overcome the pitfalls of paternalism and excessive stress on patient autonomy, a concept of "parentalism" is defended. An egalitarian perspective, the author claims, involves use of one's power to empower others. Because of the timeliness of the topics discussed, and the depth of detail, this book will be necessary reading for all bioethicists, health-care analysts and policy-makers, and women's studies researchers.