NEW HOPE FOR PROBLEM PREGNANCIES: Saving Babies Before They're Born

by ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 29, 1982

Interesting tales of babies helped prenatally by new medical techniques--but overly detailed and dense (and unnecessarily dismaying) for most expectant mothers. Hales and Creasey first briefly review normal pregnancy, with pointers on preventive health measures (nutrition, exercise, sex, etc.) and, later, on avoiding risks from alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, illicit and prescription drugs. They provide good summaries of genetic risk factors (e.g., chromosomal errors, which increase with age) and diagnostic procedures (ultrasound, x-rays, amniocentesis, festascopy). Then, however, they wade into ""Problems Along the Way"": miscarriage; ectopic pregnancy; solar pregnancy (essentially, the womb grows a tumor instead of a baby); prematurity; babies born small (for various reasons); blood incompatibility disorders; infections; and, finally, problems stemming from the mother's health-condition (diabetes, heart, kidney and liver disorders, epilepsy, even multiple sclerosis). The authors aim to alert expectant mothers to what might go wrong so they won't be taken by surprise--but a discussion of this magnitude is more in order for medical personnel. Mothers-to-be, even those with such problems, have less alarming guides and resources to choose from.

Pub Date: Sept. 29, 1982

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Harper & Row

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1982

Categories: NONFICTION