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…
Introduction Induced abortion or termination of pregnancy has been carried out for thousands of years. The provision of abortion in a legal, medically supervised, and safe framework remains one of the most contentious issues in modern-day medicine. Many people have…
Introduction It is important for any doctor to be able to take a sexual history and to have some idea of how sexual problems are managed. Understanding the physiology of the normal sexual response will allow the doctor to better…