Introduction The natural incidence of twinning has a large geographical variation, ranging from 54 in 1000 in Nigeria, 12 in 1000 in the United Kingdom, to 4 in 1000 in Japan. This difference is almost entirely due to variations in…
Introduction Pre-term birth is defined as birth before 37 weeks’ completed gestation. It occurs in around 10% of births and affects 15 million pregnancies worldwide annually. Almost one-third of pre-term births in the United Kingdom are iatrogenic (following deliberate medical…
Definitions Hypertension Threshold values of ≥140 mmHg systolic or 90 mmHg diastolic blood pressure define hypertension in pregnancy ( Fig. 28.1 ), with blood pressure ≥160 mmHg systolic or ≥110 mmHg diastolic described as severe hypertension. Chronic hypertension Chronic hypertension is…
Introduction The focus of this chapter is on fetuses who appear to be small for their gestational age. These babies may simply be small—in other words, they are normal unborn babies who just happen to be at the lower end…
Introduction Obstetric haemorrhage is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality. Worldwide, approximately 300,000 women die during pregnancy and childbirth each year, and a quarter of these are caused by haemorrhage. Whilst most deaths occur in low-resource settings (primarily…
Introduction Fetal medicine is a constantly evolving specialty. With improved understanding of scientific basis and development in technologies, numerous advances have been made in the past decade to provide more holistic and personalised perinatal care. Congenital anomalies are defined as…
Introduction Medical disorders are relatively common in pregnancy and often have no implications for the mother or her baby. However, the alteration in maternal physiology which occurs during pregnancy may affect the medical condition, or the medical condition itself may…
The Aim of Antenatal Care The aim of antenatal care is to maximise the chance of a positive outcome from a pregnancy: a healthy mother and a healthy baby or babies. This will involve regular contact between a pregnant woman…
Introduction Ethics ( Box 22.1 ) is the philosophical study of human conduct. It is not what we do or what we can do, it is what we ‘should’ do and, therefore, what we ‘should not’ do. In the subset…
Introduction A rights-based approach to sexual and reproductive health supports women to choose if and when they wish to have children, and if so, how many. This is central to women’s empowerment, reducing poverty and achieving the United Nation’s Sustainable…