Author Description

"Is my baby all right?" is a question that goes through the mind of every expectant parent. Through improvements in medical technology, it is now possible to go a long way towards answering this question before birth. Having such information can be reassuring. On the other hand, it can present expectant parents with extremely difficult decisions. The arrival of test results often puts one in the position of making hard choices under pressure of time and without adequate background information. Facts, medical technology, and strong emotion must be balanced. In these situations, the importance of expert medical counseling as well as support from family and friends is crucial. No book can replace these resources, but the detailed information in this book will make the choices more informed, and easier to accept. This accessible book describes the ways in which abnormalities in babies occur and are detected, and discusses the options which exist for diagnosis and afterwards. The first part of the book will be useful, not only during pregnancy, but also for those who are planning a pregnancy. It introduces the concepts of risk--how they are calculated and what they mean--as well as the aims of prenatal testing. The book goes on to describe genes and how they work, and the different types of problems which occur when they do not. The many ways in which environmental factors such as drugs and infections can affect the developing baby are then fully discussed. The second part of the book will be particularly useful for those who are already pregnant. It describes the different screening and diagnostic tests and explains how and why they are performed. This section also covers the options available if an abnormality is diagnosed. A problem noticed during routine prenatal screening tests can leave one suddenly confronted with a major decision about what to do next. This unique and informative book offers the facts needed to help make difficult choice