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.

Management, Organization and Childbirth: Towards a New Model for the Birth Path explores the complex topic of the birth path with a multidisciplinary magnifying glass on the paradigms, languages, and tools critical to the organization, management, and clinical science. The work consists of five chapters. The first chapter provides a multidimensional analysis of childbirth. The second chapter presents an organizational analysis that moves in unison with different models of health. The third chapter studies the birth path in organizational and cynical terms by describing it in its core processes. The fourth chapter proposes a study conducted in the Italian context, which identifies some useful determinants for redesigning the birth path. The fifth chapter formulates a proposal for redesigning the birth path based on a new health paradigm. The proposed model offers useful insights for multiple categories of readers. To students of medicine and higher education tracks in healthcare management, it can offer opportunities to raise awareness not only regarding multi-professional practice but also regarding confrontation with complementary disciplines. To practitioners and policy makers, it can provide useful stimuli to promote rational and informed decisions around the childbirth. To researchers studying the health context within different disciplinary domains, the model can offer unexplored research spaces within the new business complex system.

The book begins by describing, within a psychodynamic approach, some traits an infant may bring to an intervention, followed by descriptions of interventions in several specialised perinatal settings. Several chapters focus on parent-infant families who have experienced considerable anxiety and depression, and those who have experienced trauma and lived borderline experiences or of mental illness. An innovative intervention which successfully engaged young parents and their infants so that most of them felt they could understand and relate to their newborn infant is next outlined. Turning to most parents of an infant in a neonatal intensive care unit who feel traumatised which may impact on the emotional relationship with their infants, there is often a need for psychodynamic exploration before these difficulties can be modulated. With such interventions the staff become more containing and may more likely seek an intervention for a premature infant in their own right, attuned to the meaning of his or her mood and behaviour. Infant-parent therapy in paediatric contexts, infants in groups, and relating to infant and parents in the context of family violence are briefly described.

This manual provides those working in neonatal intensive care units with precise instructions on the diagnosis and management of common neonatal problems. It also provides invaluable guidance for trainees in pediatrics, neonatology, and neonatal nursing.

The subject of medicalisation of childbirth in colonial India has so far been identified with three major themes: the attempt to reform or 'sanitise' the site of birthing practices, establishing lying-in hospitals and replacing traditional birth attendants with trained midwives and qualified female doctors. This book, part of the series The Social History of Health and Medicine in South Asia, looks at the interactions between childbirth and midwifery practices and colonial modernities. Taking eastern India as a case study and related research from other areas, with hard empirical data from local government bodies, municipal corporations and district boards, it goes beyond the conventional narrative to show how the late nineteenth-century initiatives to reform birthing practices were essentially a modernist response of the western-educated colonised middle class to the colonial critique of Indian sociocultural codes. It provides a perceptive historical analysis of how institutionalisation of midwifery was shaped by the debates on the women's question, nationalism and colonial public health policies, all intersecting in the interwar years. The study traces the beginning of medicalisation of childbirth, the professionalisation of obstetrics, the agency of male doctors, inclusion of midwifery as an academic subject in medical colleges and consequences of maternal care and infant welfare. This book will greatly interest scholars and researchers in history, social medicine, public policy, gender studies and South Asian studies.

Depression is the most common complication of childbirth and results in adverse health outcomes for both mother and child. It is vital, therefore, that health professionals be ready to help women who have depression, anxiety, or posttraumatic stress disorder in the perinatal period. Now in its third edition, Depression in New Mothers provides a comprehensive approach to treating postpartum depression in an easy-to-use format. It reviews the research and brings together the evidence-base for understanding the causes and for assessing the different treatment options, including those that are safe for breastfeeding mothers. It incorporates research from psychoneuroimmunology and includes chapters on: assessing depression mother-infant sleep traumatic birth experiences infant temperament, illness, and prematurity childhood abuse and partner violence psychotherapy complementary and integrative therapies community support for new mothers antidepressant medication suicide and infanticide. This most recent edition incorporates new research findings from around the world on risk factors, the use of antidepressants, the impact of breastfeeding, and complementary and integrative therapies as well as updated research into racial/ethnic minority differences. Rich with case illustrations and invaluable in treating mothers in need of help, this practical, evidence-based guide dispels the myths that hinder effective treatment and presents up-to-date information on the impact of maternal depression on the mother and their infants alike.

While the general understanding of prenatal care as crucial to the wellbeing of mothers and their babies is now enshrined in American culutre, Strong draws upon scientific research to show that few procedures are as helpful as we think, aiming to dispel misconceptions about prenatal care. He explains how mothers themselves may influence the course and outcome of their pregnancies to a greater degree than do their obstetricians. He provides scientific questions that parents should be asking their health care providers to ensure that they and their babies recieve the best care possible.

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.

Key Features * Explores evolutionary context and comparative physiology of hypoxia tolerance in fetus and neonate, from basic research to clinical scenarios * Provides guidance to trainees, physicians and allied health professionals engaged in NICU care; pediatricians, cardiologists, pulmonologists, anesthesiologists, neonatologists and physiologists, to effectively manage infants in hypoxic respiratory failure * Includes case scenarios emphasizing current diagnostic and therapeutic controversies, and algorithmic approaches to decipher difficult clinical cases.

As more premature infants survive the immediate neonatal period and require prolonged periods of hospitalization, researchers in fetal development and infancy have begun to reassess the strategies for their care. In the past, the focus of neonatal intensive care was to sustain life, with little attention to the quality and implications of survival. Today, however, researchers and clinicians are seeking to enhance the development of these small infants by ameliorating the effects of extreme prematurity and the associated medical and surgical complications. This book reports the work of leading researchers who have begun to use a variety of developmental interventions in the management of small infants in neonatal intensive care units.

The most definitive, authoritative and comprehensive history of Midwifery in the US, authored by two of the profession's most distinguished nurse-leaders. There is no single text or book that spans the totality of the history of midwifery in the United States or is as comprehensive as this definitive text/reference. The book begins with the early history of Midwifery in the US (spanning the period from the 1600s to the 1940s) and proceeds to move through and emphasize various additional and more recent eras of significance and evolution and development of the profession. Important topics such as the nursing roots of the profession, the beginnings of professional practice, the founding of educational institutions for nurse-midwives, direct entry into the profession, the founding of professional organizations and challenges as well as opportunities for the future are addressed through a wealth of illustrations, story boxes, end notes, and additional resources.

Providing essential knowledge and understanding that midwives, health visitors, nursery nurses and lay birth and early parenting educators need to deliver effective and evidence-based education to all new parents and families, this book explores key issues in perinatal education. Bringing together research and thinking around preconception and birth, infant sleep, nutrition, attachment and development, it also includes chapters on topics of growing importance, such as preconception education, LGBTQ+ parent education, the role of parenting advice, parent education across different cultures and teaching antenatal classes online. Each chapter includes a key knowledge update and pointers for practice. This wide-ranging and practical text is an important read for all those supporting new parents from pregnancy through the first 1000 days, especially those delivering antenatal care and birth and early parenting education.

The aim of this book is to provide evidence-based information on the management of high-risk newborn infants. The book is not meant to be a comprehensive textbook of Neonatology. It is a handbook that will provide useful and practical information for the clinician who manages the sick newborn infants. Sick newborn infants represent a very high-risk population that carries high mortality and morbidity. Neonatal Intensive Care Units around the world have been built and staffed to take care of these sick newborns. Although many of the treatment modalities to improve their outcomes are based on solid data derived from basic science and clinical research, some are not and are simply based on anecdotal experience and clinicians' intuition and belief. This publication will elaborate and affirm the management strategies that are based on solid scientific evidence and discuss those that are not. The information will assist neonatologists and pediatricians in providing the best management options for various illnesses that affect this vulnerable population.

The rhetoric of choice is much used in UK health policy and home birth is one of the three options that women are entitled to choose between when deciding where to have their baby. However, many women making this choice run into considerable opposition from the maternity service. Home Birth: the politics of difficult choices focuses on the experiences of women whose choices were opposed by health professionals during their pregnancy journey. It confronts why and how women are being denied home birth and raises some challenging issues for current midwifery practice. Using ten women's narratives, this important volume explores why women might want to give birth at home and considers ideas of risk and informed choice in pregnancy and birth. The book includes chapters on communication and language; fear and stress; advocacy and autonomy; fathers' experience of contested place of birth and free birthing. Pointers to best practice are presented whilst the text incorporates women's narratives throughout, making this a practical and relevant read for midwifery students as well as practising midwives and childbirth educators, all of whom have a duty to make home birth a real option for women.

This is the first textbook devoted entirely to understanding and treating necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), one of the leading causes of death and disability in premature infants. NEC continues to occur in neonatal units across the world, and the overall mortality has remained stubbornly high since its first description decades ago. Despite significant research into NEC, and a greater understanding of its underlying causes, there is no single source of information to which the care team can turn for guidance. This book fills that important gap in clinical care. In selecting the topics for this inaugural textbook, three guiding principles have been followed. First, to include chapters that provide detailed information for the medical team - the doctors and nurses, the therapists and pharmacists, the chaplains and the child life workers - so that each team member can optimally recognize, prevent and treat patients with this disease. Second, to ensure that chapters cover the depth and breadth of the latest clinical and scientific research into NEC, each selected to identify specific preventative strategies or therapies for this disease. Third, and perhaps most importantly, to focus not only on the child with NEC, but also on the child's family, in order to provide comprehensive information about a disease that families have barely heard about, until the jarring day when their precious infant is affected by it. This book therefore: serves as a "how-to guide" for the care of the infant with NEC summarises critical new research and offers guidelines for future key research areas addresses the complex and difficult issues surrounding care of the critically ill infant suffering from NEC Written for the entire health care team including paediatric surgeons, neonatologists, developmental paediatricians, epidemiologists, ethicists, child life professionals, therapists and specialist nurses, each team member will find this book of value. This book was written to demystify this cruel disease, and to unlock its closely held secrets of pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment and prevention.

During the past several years, there has been an extensive reappraisal of the physiologic changes of pregnancy and their associated disorders, along with a refinement of diagnostic procedures and evaluation of the therapeutic approaches that are of primary concern to the physician. In Shoulder Dystocia and Birth Injury: Prevention and Treatment, Third Edition, noted authority James A. O'Leary, M.D., with 40 years experience as an M.D. academician, lecturer, practitioner and clinical researcher with almost 200 contributions to the OB-GYN literature and textbooks, shares his insight on treatment techniques, identification and treatment of predisposing risk factors, current statistical data, ultrasound diagnosis and the necessary steps toward prevention, along with a thorough review of the important medical-legal issues. Shoulder Dystocia and Birth Injury: Prevention and Treatment, Third Edition supplements the limits of personal experience with the accumulated experience of many talented clinicians to aid physicians, midwives, and professionals in training with the most current information in this vital field.

The subject of medicalisation of childbirth in colonial India has so far been identified with three major themes: the attempt to reform or 'sanitise' the site of birthing practices, establishing lying-in hospitals and replacing traditional birth attendants with trained midwives and qualified female doctors. This book, part of the series The Social History of Health and Medicine in South Asia, looks at the interactions between childbirth and midwifery practices and colonial modernities. Taking eastern India as a case study and related research from other areas, with hard empirical data from local government bodies, municipal corporations and district boards, it goes beyond the conventional narrative to show how the late nineteenth-century initiatives to reform birthing practices were essentially a modernist response of the western-educated colonised middle class to the colonial critique of Indian sociocultural codes. It provides a perceptive historical analysis of how institutionalisation of midwifery was shaped by the debates on the women's question, nationalism and colonial public health policies, all intersecting in the interwar years. The study traces the beginning of medicalisation of childbirth, the professionalisation of obstetrics, the agency of male doctors, inclusion of midwifery as an academic subject in medical colleges and consequences of maternal care and infant welfare. This book will greatly interest scholars and researchers in history, social medicine, public policy, gender studies and South Asian studies.

This authoritative guide offers a vital overview including the recent fundamental changes in the care of newborn babies. As well as medical staff, key roles are now played by senior nurses, clinical nurse specialists, pharmacists, advanced neonatal nurse practitioners, nurse consultants, midwives, dieticians, physiotherapists and speech therapists. The involvement of such a diverse range of professional cultures in such a rapidly developing area often leads to competing priorities, complicated by a lack of established guidelines. There is also the added challenge of fetal medicine - an important emerging allied specialty new to many healthcare professionals. This book assists all professionals involved in the provision of neonatal care in understanding the genetic, physiological and biochemical mechanisms which have either led to or are associated with the clinical conditions affecting their patients. With comprehensive chapters on fetal medicine, genetics, inherited biochemical disorders, fundamental physiological concepts, the cardiovascular, renal and respiratory systems, bacterial and transplacental infections, pharmacokinetics, nutrition, and an overview of haemostasis, A Foundation For Neonatal Care aids understanding of the continuum of developmental physiology and pathology which is now required of neonatal care providers.

Midwives are encountering more and more women whose pregnancies are complicated by medical conditions, including cardiac disease, obesity and diabetes. This new edition is completely up-to-date and offers highly practical solutions for everyday midwifery practice, acknowledging the importance of promoting normality where possible. This text includes physiology, explanations of conditions and principles of care for preconception, pregnancy, labour, birth and the postnatal period. Each chapter brings together the basic knowledge of a condition and how it changes during pregnancy in an integrated and accessible way, including a new chapter dedicated to obesity. Explanations of laboratory tests, diagnostic tests, common drugs and illustrative colour pictures are included in relevant chapters. Medical Conditions Affecting Pregnancy and Childbirth is a vital guide for student midwives, as well as a useful reference for practising midwives.

Medical professionals are often involved in the management of the pregnant patient without necessarily being experts on all the complications surrounding pregnancy. The Handbook of Obstetric Medicine addresses the most common and serious medical conditions encountered in pregnancy, including heart disease, thromboembolism, diabetes, skin problems, gastrointestinal disease, neurological problems, hormonal diseases, hypertension and pre-eclampsia, and more. For each condition, the handbook includes a description of incidence, clinical features, pathogenesis, diagnosis, the effect of pregnancy, and management of the condition. The book also includes a detailed section focusing on the differential diagnosis of common symptoms including hypertension, chest pain, palpitations, breathlessness, headaches, dizziness, abdominal pain, and more. The symptoms and differential diagnoses are presented in an easy-to-read tabular format and include a description of important clinical features and potential areas of investigation. For those clinicians understandably reluctant to prescribe drugs during pregnancy, a useful appendix includes a section on prescribing in pregnancy and a list of contra-indicated drugs. In addition, to assist in the interpretation of laboratory tests, a second appendix lists normal laboratory values in pregnancy, broken down by trimester. Pre -pregnancy counselling and postnatal follow up are vital in the holistic management of women with medical problems and this includes appropriate contraceptive advice. A third appendix has therefore been added as a ready reference for clinicians not familiar with effective contraception. The new edition remains a pragmatic and easy-to-use design by including tables, bullets, and "Points to remember" boxes for ease of reference. It is an essential on-the-spot guide for obstetricians, physicians, general practitioners, and midwives in both practice and training. Catherine Nelson-Piercy, MA, FRCP, FRCOG Past President, International Society of Obstetric Medicine, Professor of Obstetric Medicine, King's College London, Co-founding Editor-in-Chief, Obstetric Medicine Praise for previous editions: "This is an excellent handbook of obstetric medicine, which deserves to be on the shelves of all actively practicing obstetricians."-British Medical Association Medical Book Awards "This book gets it just right and is a true handbook, easy to read, accessible and is not too large but packs in a lot of useful and relevant information." - Glycosmedia

This first-of-its-kind volume addresses the myriad of issues relating to-and reviews the plethora of responses to--premature births in the United States, both in national context and compared with other countries. In addition to current clinical data, it examines how preterm births in the U.S. fit in with larger social concerns regarding poverty, racial disparities, reproductive rights, gender expectations, and the business of health care. Comparisons with preterm birth phenomena in Canada, the U.K., and other Western European countries illustrate cultural narratives about motherhood, women's status, differences across social welfare and abortion policies , and across health care financing and delivery sytems, and how these may affect outcomes for newborns. The book sorts out these intersecting complexities through the following critical lenses: * Clinical: causes, treatments, and outcomes of preterm birth * Population: the distribution of preterm births * Cultural: how we understand preterm birth * Health care: delivering care for high-risk pregnant women and preterm infants * Ethical: moral decision-making about preterm births Preterm Birth in the United States synthesizes a wide knowledge base for maternal and child health professionals across diverse disciplines, including public health, social work, nursing, medicine, and health policy. Social scientists with interests in reproduction and gender issues will gain access to historical, clinical and epidemiological knowledge that can support their work. There is also an audience for the book among childbirth activists such as supporters of midwifery and less medicalized childbirth.

At one time, many children born with congenital heart disease (CHD) suffered from issues that carried fatal prognoses. But that's changing, thanks to technological advances. Interventions in Structural, Valvular, and Congenital Heart Disease, Second Edition guides you throught the interventional treatment of congenital, valvular, and structural heart disease in the children and adults. The book emphasizes the practical aspects of procedures and covers other important areas such as indications and patient selection, potential pitfalls, and complications. See What's New in the Second Edition: Contributions from new authors who are pioneers in structural interventions in adults and transcatheter aortic valve replacement Expanded emphasis on the importance of imaging alongside the technical details of equipment and its safe and effective delivery Coverage of emerging techniques at the forefront of interventional treatment such as fetal interventions, hybrid procedures, and mitral valve repair Greater understanding, technical knowhow, and wider availability of catheters, balloons, delivery systems, and devices have spread intervention into the realm of acquired valve disease, degenerative disease of the aorta, paravalve leakage, postinfarction ventricular septal defects, and closure of the left atrial appendage. The book draws together expert interventionists from throughout the world to present approaches to congenital and structural heart disease that results in better outcomes for patients.

Cardiac disease is one of the leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality. Catastrophic outcomes typically encountered are due to gaps in knowledge and communication between health care providers. There is a great need for a standardized approach for care of this very high-risk group of pregnant women. The book encompasses detailed obstetrics and cardiology perspectives that are crucial in the management of the commonly encountered cardiac conditions in pregnancy. This text aims to provide guidance to the whole team caring for a pregnant cardiac patient consisting of obstetricians, maternal-fetal medicine, hospitalists, cardiologists, obstetric anaesthesiologists, emergency physicians, primary care providers and nurses. Features: Cardio-Obstetric team organization Preconception counselling and family planning considerations Cardiovascular disease screening and risk stratification of a pregnant cardiac patient Management of a wide spectrum of cardiovascular diagnoses through use of checklists and algorithms in a simple format Essential key points for each cardiac diagnosis

Cardiac disease is one of the leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality. Catastrophic outcomes typically encountered are due to gaps in knowledge and communication between health care providers. There is a great need for a standardized approach for care of this very high-risk group of pregnant women. The book encompasses detailed obstetrics and cardiology perspectives that are crucial in the management of the commonly encountered cardiac conditions in pregnancy. This text aims to provide guidance to the whole team caring for a pregnant cardiac patient consisting of obstetricians, maternal-fetal medicine, hospitalists, cardiologists, obstetric anaesthesiologists, emergency physicians, primary care providers and nurses. Features: Cardio-Obstetric team organization Preconception counselling and family planning considerations Cardiovascular disease screening and risk stratification of a pregnant cardiac patient Management of a wide spectrum of cardiovascular diagnoses through use of checklists and algorithms in a simple format Essential key points for each cardiac diagnosis