Foreword to the Second Edition

Foreword to the Second Edition This is a dream come true for all of those who care for pregnant and nonpregnant women. There is nothing like this in medical literature. In the past, I have been involved in the publications of several texts on drugs and pregnancy. This new text is on the leading edge of science and knowledge for women and drugs, with more than 720 generic drugs with their 1500 trade names listed in alphabetical order to make identification easy for each drug. Over-the-counter drugs are also included. The information provided in both hard text and electronic versions is very extensive, concise, and user friendly. Its availability as an electronic version for hand-held computer devices, that will be updated for the life of the edition, is particularly exciting. This will not only benefit all health care workers in the field of obstetrics and gynecology, but will also allow instantaneous access to drug related questions. Included in text and electronic versions are the following headings: Name Class Indications Dosage with qualifiers Maternal Considerations Fetal Considerations Breastfeeding Safety References Summary Also included are lists of known teratogens, pregnancy drug registries, AHA endocarditis guidelines, FDA category definitions, and the percent of drugs assigned to them. Thanks go to Dr. Weiner for his ingenuity in taking a complicated problem and making it straightforward and simple for those who care for pregnant and nonpregnant women. This effort is the first to simultaneously embrace text and an electronic version for hand-held computers. The combination of Elsevier—the world's largest health sciences publisher—and Dr. Weiner—an individual who has a longterm interest in female reproduction and especially high-risk obstetrics—assures success of the project. This is the new frontier in medical publishing, and we will look forward to additions and revisions in the electronic format.

Frederick P. Zuspan, MD

Professor and Chairman, Emeritus The Ohio State University School of Medicine and Public Health Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Emeritus Editor American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Las Vegas, Nevada