Reviews in Perinatal Medicine

Abstract

are contributors) who cover a number of timely topics in perinatal medicine. For the introductory volume they scarcely could have found two more interesting or informative persons than Drs Lawrence Longo (with Gordon Power) and Abraham Rudolph to author the first two chapters on placental oxygen transfer and cardiac output in the mammalian fetus, respectively. The first volume also considers topics that include fetal pulmonary fluid, onset of breathing, pulmonary transition from fetal life, pulmonary structure during neonatal adaption, continuous transcutaneous oxygen measurements, drugs and anesthetics in the fetus, uterine pres¬ sure, maternal standing during the first stage of labor, betamimetic drugs, fetal heart rate, fetal breath¬ ing, fetal endocrinologie diagnosis, and prenatal genetic diagnosis. The second volume promises to cover a similarly wide group of topics. Most articles are relatively short, usually about 20 pages, although Dr Scarpel¬ li's article is about 68 pages long, Dr Cosmi's is 64, and Dr Carlo Valenti's discourse on genetic diagnosis is about 36 pages. In general, most of the articles are well written and almost all are on a high academic plane. However, here also is one of the problems—the majority of the articles are written for the academic community rather than for the broad community that includes also the practicing physicians. Many contributions tend to be a bit obscure even for the academician. An example of the excellent chap¬ ters that have appeal for all levels of endeavor is Cosmi's article on drugs and anesthetics in fetuses in which the pharmacological characteristics of these drugs are examined at a basic level, while the clinical significances are shown clearly. Also, Dr Eskes deals with uterine pressure at the most basic level, while presenting a beautiful exposition of clinical physi¬ ology of the contracting uterus. An¬ other example is the excellent chapter