Fetal and Neonatal Physiology, 2-Volume Set, 6th Edition
By: Richard A. Polin & Steven H. Abman & David Rowitch & William E. Benitz
ISBN: 9780323712842
Pub Date: August 23, 2021
Reviewed By: Jay P. Goldsmith, MD (Tulane University School of Medicine)
Description
This is the sixth edition of this comprehensive two-volume set (last edition in 2017), which has become an invaluable resource for the physiology and pathophysiology of neonatal disease. Although oriented to basic science, the editors have extensively updated this present edition to be more clinically relevant with a special orientation toward the genetic determinants of disease and response to treatment. The editors feel (and rightfully so) that an understanding of the unique genetic contributions to disease will herald a major shift in our understanding and treatment of neonatal disease in the coming decades.
Purpose
The purpose of the book, according to the editors, is to provide a physiologic and evidence-based reference for the treatment of sick newborns. The book is intended to be a resource for research as well as day-to-day practice. This new edition has included more clinical guidance, although mostly in focused areas and not as fully clinically comprehensive as the standard neonatal textbooks.
The online format is easy to navigate and has excellent illustrations. There are hyperlinks to thousands of references through PubMed. The book certainly meets its objectives and sets the tone for our approach to neonatal care in the coming decades.
Audience
The book is aimed at all neonatal caregivers as well as students and physicians in training. It is appropriate for board review for neonatologists as well as conversations on academic rounds. Physician scientists will also find this book helpful in reviewing a wide array of neonatal topics which are ripe for study.
Although the reading is challenging when digesting whole topics, the book will offer clear and focused answers to specific physiologic questions. This edition also incorporates more clinical guidance. The authors and nearly 400 contributors make up a virtual “who’s who” of authorities in this field.
Features
The two-volume set is comprised of 174 chapters and over 1,800 pages of text.
These are divided into 26 sections, mostly by organ system, function, or specific physiology. Special emphasis is placed on the genetic contribution to disease and treatment. There are over 1,500 easy-to-understand illustrations, charts, and photographs, which are multi-colored and serve to complement the text. There is also an excellent section on the placenta and intrauterine environment which are important areas for the neonatal caregiver to understand.
Most of the chapters have been rewritten from the previous edition to include more clinical correlation to help explain the implications of the physiology and pathophysiology discussions.
Assessment
This is a unique reference and a “must have” for any neonatal caregiver. There are no comparable books that are this comprehensive and describe the physiology and pathophysiology of neonatal disease in such detail. The insight on genetics and future directions of this field of medicine are harbingers of how we will be practicing in the future.
©Doody’s Review Service, 2022, Jay P. Goldsmith, MD (Tulane University School of Medicine)
Doody’s Score: 97 – 5 Stars!
Thank you I just passed this on to the nurses I know