19.1 Thyroid function and physiology in pregnancy In pregnancy, abnormalities of the thyroid gland can be easily overlooked due to the normal physiologic changes of pregnancy often mimicking disturbances of thyroid gland function. As a result, basic knowledge of thyroid…
18.1 Introduction The uterus has two major components: the cervix and the corpus. The uterine cervix comprises the external os, the internal os, and the cervical canal that connects them. The corpus comprises the uterine fundus and the main uterine…
17.1 Introduction Depression is common among women during pregnancy, and although pregnancy is a time of increased health care utilization, it is likely as many as 66% of women affected during pregnancy are neither identified nor treated [ , ].…
16.1 Introduction Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States, and similarly in other countries with developed health systems. Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide for men and women. While it…
15.1 Introduction Pregnancy imposes unique metabolic demands to provide sustained and sufficient transfer of nutrients to the growing fetus during fasting periods by ensuring adequate nutrient storage during feeding. Hormones produced by the feto-placental unit play a pivotal role in…
14.1 Introduction Reports of substance abuse during pregnancy are recorded in nursing literature as early as the 1980s with an increase in substance use continuing through to the present [ , ]. Data from the National Survey on Drug Use…
13.1 Introduction Cancer is the second leading cause of death in women of reproductive age and accounts for 16% of deaths among women between ages 20–44 years [ ]. The incidence is commonly reported as 1 per 1000 pregnancies, but…
Serious infections can occur during pregnancy and must be treated to prevent maternal and fetal adverse outcomes. While some anti-infectives have been studied in pregnancy, many agents have inadequate data available to evaluate safety, efficacy, and appropriate dosing, posing a…
11.1 Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy One of the most frequently encountered common discomforts related to pregnancy is nausea and vomiting. Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP) is often most difficult to deal with, often debilitating to patients, relationships, work…
10.1 Introduction Asthma is one of the most common potentially serious medical problems to complicate pregnancy, and may adversely affect both maternal quality of life and perinatal outcomes. Optimal management of asthma during pregnancy (MAP) is thus important for both…