Main description:

Practicing specialists in pathology, laboratory medicine, and obstetrics comprehensively summarize the latest scientific findings and their experiences in the use and interpretation of laboratory testing in patients who are pregnant or experiencing recurrent pregnancy loss. Topics of interest include the effects of normal physiological changes on test results, test selection for diagnosis, changes in reference ranges, monitoring the pregnant patient, new technologies, and the limitations of laboratory testing. The authors not only clearly explain currently used test methods and technologies for the nontechnical reader, but also provide comprehensive details for laboratory professionals. The comprehensive appendix that compiles published normal reference ranges by first, second, and third trimester consttitutes an excellent resource for professionals caring for pregnant women.

Contents:

Human Pregnancy: An Overview

Ann M. Gronowski

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin

Laurence A. Cole

Biological Markers of Preterm Delivery

Stephen F. Thung and Alan M. Peaceman

Markers of Fetal Lung Maturity

Edward R. Ashwood

Maternal Prenatal Screening for Fetal Defects

Andrew R. MacRae and Jacob A. Canick

Chromosome Analysis in Prenatal Diagnosis

Syed M. Jalal, Adewale Adeyinka, and Alan Thornhill

Diagnosis and Monitoring of Ectopic and Abnormal Pregnancies

Gary Lipscomb

Thyroid Disease During Pregnancy: Assessment of the Mother

Corinne R. Fantz and Ann M. Gronowski

Thyroid Disease During Pregnancy: Assessment of the Fetus

Pratima K. Singh and Ann M. Gronowski

Hematology and Hemostasis During Pregnancy

Charles S. Eby

Hemolytic Disease of the Newborn

David G. Grenache

Prenatal Screening and Diagnosis of Congenital Infections

Lynn Bry

Laboratory Testing for Group B Streptococcus in the Pregnant Patient

Sebastian Faro

Immunologic Diseases of Pregnancy

William A. Bennett

Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

Carolyn B. Coulam

Multifetal Gestations

Isaac Blickstein and Louis G. Keith

Diabetes in Pregnancy

Jonathan W. Dukes, Albert C. Chen, and Lois Jovanovic

Preeclampsia, Eclampsia, and Hypertension

Kee-Hak Lim and Melanie M. Watkins

Liver Diseases in Pregnancy

Jason D. Wright and Yoel Sadovsky

Appendix

Index