Medical Conditions Affecting Pregnancy and Childbirth: A Handbook for Midwives

Midwives are encountering more and more women whose pregnancies are complicated by medical conditions. The number of women with cardiac disease becoming pregnant is growing each year, obesity, older age and the complex health problems of women born outside the United Kingdom have also been identified as key factors, and women with serious medical conditions who would have been unable to contemplate pregnancy are now able to access specialist care and become mothers. This full-colour handbook is completely up-to-date and offers highly practical solutions for everyday practice. It includes physiology, explanations of conditions and principles of care for pre-conception, pregnancy, labour, delivery 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. Explanations of laboratory tests, diagnostic tests and common drugs are included in relevant chapters. Medical Conditions Affecting Pregnancy and Childbirth is a vital guide for all midwives to have on hand. It is also highly recommended for student midwives.