Innovations in Neonatal-perinatal Medicine

Book excerpt: Innovations in technology and new therapies have changed the face of medicine in the last few decades. These include advances in fetal diagnosis (preimplantation genetics, chorionic villous sampling and amniocentesis), drugs that have been developed to treat unique conditions in neonates such as respiratory distress syndrome (surfactant) and pulmonary hypertension (inhaled nitric oxide), as well as technological advances and interventions resulting in diagnostic (ultrasounds and MRI) and therapeutic interventions (intrauterine transfusion to ECMO). Research in fertility treatments has resulted in test tube babies and cloned animals, and that has also fostered technological advances in diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. The primary purpose of Innovations in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine is to highlight these innovations in technology and therapy that have not only changed the way doctors deliver care to fetus and neonate but also reduced neonatal mortality thereby saving millions of lives in the process. These issues are addressed by the authors who are experts in their respective fields. the book will be valuable not only to healthcare providers but also to educators and policy makers.