The volume “Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Endocrinology: Physiology, Pathophysiology, and Clinical Management” is designed as a thorough textbook for clinicians that are often confronted with diagnosing endocrinology pathologies in the pregnant and lactating female, as well as in the fetus and neonate. The presentation and management of endocrine diseases during pregnancy usually represent a challenge for the obstetricians, as they can manifest differently. Also, certain maternal conditions might affect the developing fetus or neonate, hence requiring early diagnosis and treatment. This reference volume offers an extended perspective on the endocrine pathology in pregnancy and early life and comprises information beyond the existing content on the market.
The book structure contains 2 sections which are further divided into 5 parts and 53 chapters. The first section is dedicated to the mother - Normal endocrine physiology of the mother during pregnancy and lactation, and Maternal endocrine disorders during pregnancy and lactation, and it focuses on the endocrinological aspects that impact the mother, including the physiological course of fertility, pregnancy and lactation and the pathophysiology of each endocrine gland. Besides the most common addressed conditions, such as Graves disease or maternal hypercalcemia and their implications on the fetus and neonate development, this first edition also includes less common disorders, such as pineal gland disfunction.
The second section is dedicated to the child and is divided into 2 parts, Normal endocrine development and physiology of the fetus and neonate and Endocrine disorders affecting the fetus or neonate. Rapidly advancing technology in prenatal diagnosis compels clinicians to address the implications of certain endocrine conditions, particularly related to sex differentiations or dyshormonogenesis. By integrating new molecular and genetic causes of endocrine disorders, this section is particularly useful to the clinician for constructing informed decision-making and offering further guidance.
The editors of the book are Christopher Kovacs and Cheri L. Deal. C. Kovacs is a Professor of Medicine (Endocrinology and Metabolism), Obstetrics & Gynecology, and Biomedical Sciences at Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada. C.L. Deal is a Professor of endocrinology at the Department of Pediatrics, University of Montreal, and chief of the Endocrinology Service at the Sainte-Justine Mother-Child University Teaching Hospital, Montreal, Canada. The authorship includes broad expertise from clinicians specialised in endocrinology, obstetrics-gynecology, pediatrics and internal medicine, and researchers from different backgrounds, including neuroscience. As a Romanian contribution to the authorship, an interdisciplinary team from “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, dedicated three chapters of this textbook to the pineal gland and its disorders, that are usually overlooked and require a more nuanced clinical management, both in mother and child. The titles of these chapters are: The pineal gland and its function in pregnancy and lactation, Maternal endocrine disorders during pregnancy and lactation – Pineal, and Normal endocrine development and physiology of the fetus and neonate – Pineal.
Overall, this textbook is a key reference for maternal fetal and neonatal endocrinology, bringing novel insights into molecular and genetic physiological and pathophysiological aspects, including rare endocrine disorders encountered in pregnancy and lactation.