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In this textbook, Dr. Stevenson reviews many of the prenatal factors that can interfere with normal fetal development or have effects on the newborn infant. The list of known factors is growing rapidly, and the scope of the text can best be shown by outlining the contents:
Part 1: "Prenatal Immunologic Influences" includes blood cell immunization, and systematic immunologic disease.
Part 2: "Prenatal Chemical Influences" includes metabolic disturbances, and drugs.
Part 3: "Prenatal Infections" includes viral, bacterial, spirochetal, fungal, and protozoal infections.
Part 4: Prenatal Nutrition" includes general nutrition, and specific nutritional requirements.
Part 5: "Other Influences" includes radiation, oxygen, malignant disease, and age of mother.
The broad scope of the contents reflects how rapidly knowledge in this area is growing. The obstetrician can hardly prescribe a drug or perform a study of manipulation on a gravid woman without considering whether the effects on the fetus (almost certainly there will