Textbook of Perinatal Medicine PDF

Foreword

Perinatal medicine is among the most challenging and beautiful areas of study and practice. It deals with events before birth, when the fetus is a patient and during the immediate neonatal period. The World Association of Perinatal Medicine is dedicated to the study of all aspects of perinatal biology, physiology, screening, diagnosis, management and ethics, with the goal of continuous quality improvement in the care of maternal, fetal and neonatal patients.

This textbook is based on a previous work that was produced by the European Association of Perinatal Medicine in 1998. Because perinatal medicine is now a global area of study, it is appropriate that the current textbook is a product of the World Association of Perinatal Medicine. The bonds that link perinatologists together transcend geographic, political, religious and lingual differences, resulting in a globalization that optimizes clinical care.

This textbook consists of over 200 chapters divided into 20 sections, which span the depth and breadth of the field. Beginning with the history of perinatal medicine and ending with the challenges facing this specialty in developing countries, this book is a comprehensive text designed to provide insight and guidance to clinicians throughout the world with state of the art information, written by the world's leading perinatologists.

We are grateful to the authors of the 205 chapters and the editors of the 20 sections, who have worked so diligently with us to produce this textbook, which we believe bears testament to the importance and success of international collaboration in perinatal medicine.