A Practical Guide to Obstetrics, Second Edition

Contents: 1. Preconception Checklist for Women Planning Pregnancy. 2. Antenatal Care: Initial Assessment. 3. Dietary Advice and Nutritional Supplements. 4. Antenatal Care: Second and Third Trimesters. 5. Common Problems in the Antenatal Period and their Management. 6. Antepartum Fetal Surveillance. 7. Prenatal Screening for Genetic Disorders. 8. Prenatal Diagnostic Testing for Genetic Disorders. 9. Ultrasound in the First Trimester. 10. Ultrasound Detection of Abnormal Pregnancy in the Early First Trimester. 11. Ultrasound in the Second Trimester. 12. Ultrasound in the Third Trimester. 13. Respectful Maternity Care: A Human Right. 14. Normal Labour and Delivery: Evidence-Based Management. 15. Evidence-Based Approach to Episiotomy. 16. Prevention and Repair of Perineal Trauma Occurring in Childbirth. 17. Pain Relief in Labour. 18. Fetal Health Surveillance in Labour. 19. Induction of Labour. 20. Abnormal Progression of Labour. 21. Operative Vaginal Delivery. 22. Breech Delivery. 23. Cesarean Section: Procedure and Technique. 24. Reducing Cesarean Section Rates. 25. Vaginal Birth After a Previous Cesarean Delivery. 26. Prophylactic Antibiotics in Obstetrics. 27. Maternal Care in the Puerperium. 28. Maternal Complications in the Puerperium. 29. Lactation and Breastfeeding. 30. Obstetric Emergencies. 31. Antepartum Hemorrhage. 32. Postpartum Hemorrhage. 33. Preterm Labour and Preterm Prelabour Rupture of Membranes. 34. Management of Late-Term and Postterm Pregnancy. 35. Multiple Pregnancy. 36. Fetal Growth Disorders: Growth Restriction and Macrosomia. 37. Late Intrauterine Fetal Death and Stillbirth. 38. Pregnancy in Women with Fibroids. 39. Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnancy. 40. Gestational and Pre-gestational Diabetes. 41. Thyroid Disorders in Pregnancy. 42. Antiphospholipid Syndrome and its Impact on Pregnancy.  43. Management of Rh Alloimmunisation in Pregnancy. 44. High Maternal BMI: Obstetric Implications. 45. Pregnancy in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. 46. Management of Pregnancy After Assisted Reproductive Technology. 47. Anemia and Hemoglobinopathies in Pregnancy: (Nutritional Anemia, Sickle Cell Disease, Thalassemia). 48. Infections in Pregnancy. 49. COVID-19 Infection in Pregnancy. 50. Immunisations During Pregnancy. 51. Management of Pregnancy in a Woman With HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). 52. Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy. 53. Asthma in Pregnancy.

The second edition of A Practical Guide to Obstetrics is an encyclopedia of obstetrics and an excellent reference book for practising obstetricians and midwives in India. This book presents the most up-to-date information of practical relevance in a crisp and reader-friendly style.

The current edition of A Practical Guide to Obstetrics focuses on Indian data available for various clinical conditions. Since 2005, the Government of India, along with other agencies, has brought out guidelines for maternal healthcare. These are sound clinically and present the scope and purpose with clarity. However, a task force convened by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) found that Indian guidelines have weak documentation about their development process and are unclear on how they were adapted to local conditions. Recommendations in this book are based on Indian conditions, resources and ease of applicability. This should help practitioners to relate these to various clinical situations and be able to practice with confidence.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic changed the world in many ways. Obstetricians had to rapidly learn about the disease and its impact on both the mother and her baby. Practices had to be adapted that would also ensure the safety of healthcare providers. To address these challenges, the second edition of A Practical Guide to Obstetrics includes a chapter on COVID-19 and the current recommendations for preventing and managing the disease in pregnant women.

The book is well-illustrated with an ample number of photographs, figures and tables. Evidence-based facts are presented as bullet points. The use of light bulb boxes for important pieces of information and thumbs up or down boxes to denote good and harmful practices makes it easy for the clinician to focus on the most crucial details.