This is a story about the cutting-edge medicine that has saved a generation of babies.

It's about the love and fear a parent feels for a child they haven’t yet met.

It's about doctors, mothers, fathers and babies as together they fight for the first breath.

The First Breath is a book about motherhood and medicine.

Olivia Gordon decided to find out how, exactly, modern science saved her son’s life. Crossing medical memoir with popular science, The First Breath is an investigation into the pioneering fetal and neonatal care bringing a new generation into the world, who would not have lived if they had been born only a few decades ago.

The First Breath explores the female experience of medicine and details the relationship mothers develop with doctors who hold not only life and death in their hands, but also the very possibility of birth.

From the dawn of fetal medicine to neonatal surgery and the exploding field of perinatal genetics, The First Breath tells of fear, bravery and love. Olivia Gordon takes the reader behind the closed doors of the fetal and neonatal intensive care units, resuscitation rooms and operating theatres at some of the world’s leading children’s hospitals, unveiling the untold story of how doctors save the sickest babies.

It has been close to six decades since Watson and Crick discovered the structure of DNA and more than ten years since the human genome was decoded. Today, through the collection and analysis of a small blood sample, every baby born in the United States is screened for more than fifty genetic disorders. Though the early detection of these abnormalities can potentially save lives, the test also has a high percentage of false positives-inaccurate results that can take a brutal emotional toll on parents before they are corrected. Now some doctors are questioning whether the benefits of these screenings outweigh the stress and pain they sometimes produce. In Saving Babies?, Stefan Timmermans and Mara Buchbinder evaluate the consequences and benefits of state-mandated newborn screening - and the larger policy questions they raise about the inherent inequalities in American medical care that limit the effectiveness of this potentially life - saving technology. Drawing on observations and interviews with families, doctors, and policy actors, Timmermans and Buchbinder have given us the first ethnographic study of how parents and geneticists resolve the many uncertainties in screening newborns. Ideal for scholars of medicine, public health, and public policy, this book is destined to become a classic in its field.

The book starts with a short introduction to the topic, followed by a detailed description of the anatomical differences between exstrophy and gastroschisis. In the following chapters, the authors describe the surgical umbilicoplasty for congenital defects in children. Outcomes and complications will be discussed in the last chapter. Written by respected authors, this book will offer residents and fellows as well as practicing and highly experienced plastic surgeons essential guidance on treatment and decision-making concerning umbilical reconstruction. Its numerous illustrations and clearly structured content make the book a must-read.

The 5th edition of this indispensable resource captures the latest insights in neonatal neurology in a totally engaging, readable manner. World authority Dr. Joseph Volpe has completely revised his masterwork from cover to cover, describing everything from the most up-to-the-minute discoveries in genetics through the latest advances in the diagnosis and management of neurologic disorders. He delivers all the clinical guidance you need to provide today's most effective care for neonates with neurological conditions. Provides comprehensive coverage of neonatal neurology, solely written by the field's founding expert, Dr. Joseph Volpe - for a masterful, cohesive source of answers to any question that arises in your practice. Focuses on clinical evaluation and management, while also examining the many scientific and technological advances that are revolutionizing neonatal neurology. Organizes disease-focused chapters by affected body region for ease of reference. Features a brand new, full-color design with hundreds of new figures, tables, algorithms, and micrographs. Includes two entirely new chapters: Neurodevelopmental Follow-Up and Stroke in the Newborn; a new section on Neonatal Seizures; and an extensively expanded section on Hypoxic-Ischemia and Other Disorders. Showcases the experience and knowledge of a new editorial team, led by Dr. Joseph Volpe and Dr. Terrie E. Inder, Chair of the Department of Pediatric Newborn Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital, all of whom bring a wealth of insight to this classic text. Offers comprehensive updates from cover to cover to reflect all of the latest information regarding the development of the neural tube; prosencephalic development; congenital hydrocephalus; cerebellar hemorrhage; neuromuscular disorders and genetic testing; and much more. Uses an improved organization to enhance navigation. Expert ConsultT eBook version included with purchase. This enhanced eBook experience allows you to search all of the text, figures, Q&As, and references from the book on a variety of devices.

Paediatric Surgery has been fully updated to reflect current guidelines and practices, and offers a contemporary overview of the subject in general, as well as detailed information about core subjects. Structured to assist problem-solving and diagnosis, the handbook contains detailed clinical features on all aspects of neonatal and general paediatric surgical conditions, it is a key revision tool for the MRCS and FRCS Paediatrics post-graduate exams, as well as the UEMS European exam in paediatric surgery. The chapter on common operations has been expanded, including new topics on orchidopexy, scrotal exploration, thoracotomy, and appendicectomy, as well as information on robotic surgery. There is also a new chapter on global paediatric surgery, outlining the challenges and future direction of the discipline in India, East Africa, West Africa, and South Africa. Neonatal medicine and neonatal surgery both have new topics on resuscitation, ventilation strategies, jaundice, and congenital lung abnormalities. With the knowledge level based around what is needed in clinical practice, supporting background and science is included to strengthen understanding. Pragmatic and practical, this second edition of Paediatric Surgery is a vital tool for all those who work in the field.

Awarded Third Place in the 2016 AJN Book of the Year Awards in the Maternal-Child Health Category! Breastfeeding Management for the Clinician: Using the Evidence, Fourth Edition is an essential and practical reference guide for clinicians. Using a research-based approach, it includes literature reviews while covering incidence, etiology, risk factors, prevention, prognosis and implications, interventions, expected outcomes, care plans, and clinical algorithms. With a focus on the practical application of evidence-based knowledge, this reference offers a problem-solving approach to help busy clinicians integrate the latest research into everyday clinical practice. Completely updated and revised, the Fourth Edition includes a new discussion of the vitally important newborn gut microbiome. In addition, it features new and more effective techniques for addressing breastfeeding barriers, new research, and the latest guidelines.

Care of the Well Newborn is a unique text that focuses on care of the term newborn for the first month of life. Written by distinguished experts in the field, it teaches students and professionals how and what to assess in the care of the nonverbal newborn, while also providing criteria for recognizing deviations from normal and strategies for managing complications that arise. The first text of its kind, it provides easily accessible information on evidence-based neonatal care that follows current guidelines, standards, and recommendations. Also explored are physiology and pathophysiology, data collection, differential diagnosis, cultural considerations, and parental education. An ideal resource for both students and professionals, each chapter includes multiple choice questions, case studies, or activities to facilitate critical thinking and learning.

In 1983 two doctors, one from each side of the world, decided to form a partnership, and so began a scientific adventure that would improve the odds that babies could be born healthy and whole. Neural tube defects that severely disabled or killed babies were epidemic in China (where the folk term was guai tai--roughly ""monster baby""--for an infant whose embryonic neural tube doesn't completely close and whose head and neck may be misshapen or spine may protrude) and a significant problem in the United States, leading teams of researchers from the United States and China to combine forces to recruit more than 285,000 Chinese women and to follow nearly 250,000 pregnancies in an epidemiological study. Sixteen thousand staff were involved in running the project, which encountered massive bureaucratic obstacles as well as cultural differences, politicking for study designs and funding, the crisis of Tiananmen Square, and testy debates over research ethics. Nevertheless, the researchers persevered in a collaboration that lasted more than three decades and led to landmark findings on the role of folic acid in preventing spina bifida. Fortifying cereal grain products with folic acid became routine in the United States and a growing number of nations around the world: that intervention was named one of the ten great public health achievements of the last decade.

In 1983 two doctors, one from each side of the world, decided to form a partnership, and so began a scientific adventure that would improve the odds that babies could be born healthy and whole. Neural tube defects that severely disabled or killed babies were epidemic in China (where the folk term was guai tai--roughly ""monster baby""--for an infant whose embryonic neural tube doesn't completely close and whose head and neck may be misshapen or spine may protrude) and a significant problem in the United States, leading teams of researchers from the United States and China to combine forces to recruit more than 285,000 Chinese women and to follow nearly 250,000 pregnancies in an epidemiological study. Sixteen thousand staff were involved in running the project, which encountered massive bureaucratic obstacles as well as cultural differences, politicking for study designs and funding, the crisis of Tiananmen Square, and testy debates over research ethics. Nevertheless, the researchers persevered in a collaboration that lasted more than three decades and led to landmark findings on the role of folic acid in preventing spina bifida. Fortifying cereal grain products with folic acid became routine in the United States and a growing number of nations around the world: that intervention was named one of the ten great public health achievements of the last decade.

This book summarises the state of cognoscibility with regard to normal new-born care that has accumulated over the past centuries, especially the 20th and now 21st century. This compendium is not an ersatz discussion of neonatology, but of the fascinating zone that involves the new-born in the normal new-born nursery. It is not a homogenous area and thus, some overlap is inevitable in such a compilation of data. The preface details historical concepts that have followed new-borns over the millennia of homo sapiens' existence, such as infanticide, breast feeding, swaddling, neonatal resuscitation, and principles of caring for new-borns. The mortality rate of new-borns has been reduced in many parts of the world in this century and we have learned much more about how to keep increasing numbers of new-borns alive, especially when health care providers and society collaborate in this important endeavour and emphasise known preventative principles. Current modern paediatric and perinatal treatments allow new-borns in the current 21st century America to have a start on an overall life expectancy of 78.5 years (up to 76 years in males and 80.9 years in females), if they receive meticulous medical care even if born into a penurious state. Such deserved care and inevitable ongoing medical discoveries will only lengthen these life trajectories.

A new look at how we welcome newborn babies into the world, whatever context they are born in, but particularly if they are born in a large maternity hospital. Reflections, exercises and ideas for midwives and other maternity professionals. "The deeply ingrained, rational scientific culture we live in today suppresses our innate knowledge of how things could improve. We focus on categorising through measuring, counting and documenting what we do, instead of realising deep inside that things must change with regard to our rituals around birth in hospital. It's as if we don't quite know how to engender that change..." Experienced midwife Debby Gould considers the current situation and explores how change is not just possible but also beneficial for mother, baby and healthcare professionals. Questions and exercises are provided to stimulate reflection and seminar discussion. Following a varied and distinguished career in many maternity contexts, Debby Gould is currently Head of Midwifery for University College London Hospitals and has served two full terms in office (as Deputy Chair, then Chair) on the Royal College of Midwives Council. She is also named in Debrett's People of Today as one of the top 25,000 influential and successful people in the UK. Her words are well worth reading

This book has been written to summarise the available knowledge regarding transcutaneous bilirubinometry, the first technique that allows a completely non-invasive measurement of a clinical variable. This technique led to important changes in the management of neonatal jaundice, the most common clinical condition of new-born infants world-wide. Transcutaneous bilirubinometry has its roots in the old observation that yellow skin colour is due to the deposition of bilirubin, a chromophore molecule. More recently, transcutaneous bilirubinometry has involved many disciplines; and accordingly, this book has contributions from physicists, biologists, paediatric dermatologists and neonatologists who have clinical research expertise in the field of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. We hope that this book may prompt the advancement of research that will answer the as-yet unanswered questions, improve the reliability and usefulness of transcutaneous bilirubinometry, and respond to the clinical needs of our little patients.

Severely unwell children are the most frightening emergency a clinician can face. This second edition of Emergencies in Paediatrics and Neonatology, guides the clinician through what to do and when, in a format that can be read at the bedside. Resuscitation techniques are described in detail and comprehensive management plans are provided. Organised by symptom, the handbook concisely covers a range of essential information, from the key facts to elicit in the history to the specific difficulties of treating children in an emergency situation - communication and pain relief. Symbols are used to indicate clinical severity ranging from life-threatening to minor, and the book includes detailed drug dosages for children and the most recent resuscitation guidelines. The new edition brings this bestselling guide fully up-to-date, including the management of anaphylaxis and rheumatic fever. The number of algorithms included in the book has also been increased.

This is the true story of the heart-wrenching struggle for survival, devastating financial loss, and the power of hope that comes with extremely premature babies born nearly four months early. The twin babies arrived at 24 weeks gestation and each weighed a pound. Imagine that, the same as six sticks of butter It's a riveting story of despair and tragedy, joy and laughter. I couldn't put it down and I hope you find it the same way...perhaps just not so late into the wee hours of the night. Re-told from journals, the story unfolds like a medical-mystery. Will the twins survive? Will they have devastating disabilities? The breath-taking pace of life-altering decisions in a Neonatal Intensive Care setting is like witnessing an accident--one you can't bear to watch and yet so compelling you can't look away. Follow the roller-coaster ride through heroics, medical miracles, unrelenting fear, and heart-warming joy. The events of this true story will make you cry. You'll be appalled at the insensitivity of some towards this young family. You'll be angry at the gall of insurance companies that use "fine print" to deny coverage for certain medical treatments. And you'll rejoice with the miracle of life fought for and won. With less than a 20% chance of survival at birth, the doctors warned; "If the babies manage to survive, they have an 80% chance of debilitating issues--including cerebral palsy, breathing issues, and severe learning disabilities." The second edition of A Pound of Hope adds the much awaited five-year look back on this harrowing start in life. Read the unexpected outcome (I won't spoil the surprise here ) of these one-pound miracle babies. The backdrop setting for this story of survival is one of financial disaster. This family is bankrupted by the unrelenting medical costs to save their babies. They lose everything--savings and retirement accounts are emptied; belongings are sold and their house is lost as they fall into the bottomless pit of medical bankruptcy. Our leaders in health insurance, medical services, and government have failed to address a hole in the very fabric of our society. A hole so big it swallows families at a time when they are experiencing life-threatening issues. For what is the point of medical miracles if there is no way to pay for them? Our society has developed machines and techniques to preserve and extend life against all odds. But at what cost? Families stricken with the financial burden of catastrophic medical bills will see their financial stability, their future, even their very viability as a family slip away. If science can save the babies, who will save the family?