College level animal reproductive physiology.

One of the mysteries of mammalian reproduction is the physiologic process that determines the length of gestation. The proper timing of birth ensures that the young individual is sufficiently developed to survive and adapt in the extrauterine environment, and that the mother is capable to provide nutrition and protection to the newborn. This volume summarizes new knowledge obtained by many researchers seeking to unravel the compile mechanisms that contribute to the maintenance and termination of pregnancy. The most important common goal of these efforts is to reduce the incidence of preterm birth, which is the leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality in numerous countries. Separate chapters are devoted to the best-studied animal models of parturition. In sheep, the fetus is in control of the timing of its own birth, while in avian species, oviposition is evidently determined by the female laying the feritlized egg. In humans and non-human primates, the roles of the fetus and the mother are more balanced, and involve a complicated and poorly understood interplay between the mother, the fetus, and the placenta. Some major aspects of these interactions, such as trophoblast function, myometrial contractility, and the endocrine-paracrine systems, are discussed in further chapters.

The increasing prevalence of preterm birth in the United States is a complex public health problem that requires multifaceted solutions. Preterm birth is a cluster of problems with a set of overlapping factors of influence. Its causes may include individual-level behavioral and psychosocial factors, sociodemographic and neighborhood characteristics, environmental exposure, medical conditions, infertility treatments, and biological factors. Many of these factors co-occur, particularly in those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged or who are members of racial and ethnic minority groups. While advances in perinatal and neonatal care have improved survival for preterm infants, those infants who do survive have a greater risk than infants born at term for developmental disabilities, health problems, and poor growth. The birth of a preterm infant can also bring considerable emotional and economic costs to families and have implications for public-sector services, such as health insurance, educational, and other social support systems. Preterm Birth assesses the problem with respect to both its causes and outcomes. This book addresses the need for research involving clinical, basic, behavioral, and social science disciplines. By defining and addressing the health and economic consequences of premature birth, this book will be of particular interest to health care professionals, public health officials, policy makers, professional associations and clinical, basic, behavioral, and social science researchers.

Management of Pregnant and Neonatal Dogs, Cats, and Exotic Pets is a comprehensive yet practical reference on small animal neonatology. Covering reproductive physiology of pregnancy and parturition, normal neonatology, and neonatal disorders in dogs, cats, and small exotic mammals, the book gives special emphasis to fetal well-being, parturition, normal physical parameters, behavior, common disorders and defects, emergency care, and orphan management. Information on nutritional and environmental considerations for both the dam and offspring is included, as well as guidance on offering advice to breeders providing neonatal care at home. Well illustrated throughout, Management of Pregnant and Neonatal Dogs, Cats, and Exotic Pets is a complete resource for the successful management of pregnant and newborn pets. Veterinary practitioners, students, technicians, and professional breeders all will find the book’s how-to, clinically relevant approach to small animal neonatology invaluable.

Understanding the processes by which we ourselves are born is arguably one of the greatest current challenges in clinical medicine. The prevention of preterm delivery, the cause of 70-80% of neonatal morbidity, has become a key area of research. 'The Endocrinology of Parturition' provides an encyclopedia of human parturition which charts the progress of this goal. ̈ In nineteen chapters of authoritative writing this volume covers a wide range of topics from the comparative endocrinology of mammalian parturition and the socio-economic impact of preterm delivery to the relative merits of current tocolytics. Hormonal actions involved in the process of parturition and the role of different hormones are discussed in detail. Several new approaches like the concept of parturition as a variant of inflammatory response or the role of the wide spectrum of known cytokines are introduced. This timely book in a highly dynamic research area is of special interest to birth-clinical obstetricians, endocrinologists and reproductive biologists as well as general practitioners involved in obstetrics.

Current Topics in Experimental Endocrinology, Volume 4: The Endocrinology of Pregnancy and Parturition deals with the various aspects of pregnancy and parturition. The book discusses pregnancy and parturition in marsupials; the vital role of the corpus luteum; and the endocrinology of the preimplantation period, looking into the variety of hormones and other agents and their involvement in the implantation process. The text also describes the critical role of prolactin in pregnancy; the role of human chorionic gonadotropin in early pregnancy; and specific pregnancy proteins. The clinical use of human placental lactogen in pregnancy; estrogen and progestrone production in human pregnancy; and the role of oxytocin in parturition; threatened abortion are also considered. Endocrinologists, obstetricians, gynecologists, reproductive physiologists, and students taking related courses will find the book invaluable.