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Intrauterine devices and their complications
30 chapters. The first part is theoretical considerations, the second methodological considerations, the third developmental relations, the fourth physiological and psychological pattems, the fifth women's health, and the sixth is an epilogue. Most of the book examines the relationships between the various phases of the menstrual cycle and mood and cognition. The shortcomings of previous more medically oriented literature are well reviewed in many, if not too many chapters, including one by Dr. Parlee who has previously written a classic in this area. This book is important and well worth reading by those who already have a fairly good knowledge of the endocrine and medical aspects of the menstrual cycle as it points out the flaws and gaps in our knowledge of menstrual cycle related emotional and cognitive changes. Good joint research by both the behavioral scientist and the endocrinologist is needed. Unfortunately very few of the papers in this symposium amalgamate endocrinology and behavioral science. It is therefore difficult to interpret many of the chapters, since menstrual histories were apparently not taken by some investigators and some failed to document ovulation in the cycles studied. There are specific exceptions to this and these research reports have much more meaning. Many chapters are difficult for the nonbehavioral scientist to follow as they discuss several different psychological tests without extensive descriptions of the tests. This is particularly true in the background chapters and I felt, being a nonbehavioral scientist, that the discussions were not complete enough for them to flow easily for me. The chapters are also very variable in their quality. Some are superb, others are awful. A few chapters, for example, didn't have final analysis of the data presented. One chapter reported the periodic changes in cervical mucus, the cervix, the vagina, and basal body temperature throughout the menstrual cycle as if they were new findings. What was reported has been known for decades. There was no literature review and an appalling discussion of how the data was interpreted--"the data was fed to a computer". Dysmenorrhea is covered in three chapters and the role of prostaglandins is not mentioned once. Prostaglandins do not even appear in the book's index. Any
discussion of dysmenorrhea is incomplete without reference to prostaglandins as the role of prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors cannot be adequately evaluated and compared to the behavioral modification therapies for dysmenorrhea outlined in this book. The chapters on behavioral modification of dysmenorrhea are very interesting and very valuable. There should, however, be a discussion of the medical therapies of dysmenorrhea and certainly one would hope that in the future the two therapies would be compared in a random fashion. There is a chapter on the politics of menopause which is a very one-sided discussion. Many positive aspects of estrogen replacement therapy are ignored. The risk/benefit ratio is very inadequately discussed. It is more an attack on the Ayerst Drug Company than an adequate discussion on menopause. There are a number of chapters which examine the psychological effects of hysterectomy. These chapters are very good and revealing because they do not appear to have any preconceptions. They point out a number of interesting shortterm problems of hysterectomy. There are several chapters examining the role of prior teaching on young girls' response to menarche and on women's response to menopause. They brought attention to how prior conditioning from relatives, peers, and teachers can alter a woman's response to menarche and menopause. These kinds of studies are invaluable if we are to know how to alter our cultural attitudes and our teaching of young girls and women about these two important landmarks in their lives. There are many superb chapters showing no bias and great objectivity and there are others where the prejudice makes the results and their discussion questionable. Again I would recommend this book be read by anyone who is already quite familiar with the medical and scientific aspects of the menstrual cycle and is interested in mood and cognitive changes in the menstrual cycle. Many of the points brought out are very important and are often lacking in medical and scientific discussions of the menstrual cycle. The chapters touch on important aspects that everyone dealing in women's health care have and should deal with. It is a pity that members of the medical community did not contribute chapters to a book entitled "An Interdisciplinary Approach".
Journal of Nurse-Midwifery • Vol. 27, No. 2, March/April 1982
Intrauterine Devices and Their Complications. By David Edelman, Gary Berger and Louis Keith. Boston: G.K. Hall & Company, 1979. 263 pages. $20.00 hardcover. Reviewed by: Patricia Urbanus, C.N.M., M,S.N. This scholarly text offers all the current information a practitioner needs to know about the IUD, and then some. The ten chapters include a historical development, mechanism of action, performance evaluation, the topics of insertion, perforation, bleeding, cervical and uterine pathology, intrauterine pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy and fertility after removal. Research studies are quoted wherever appropriate. In fact, research reporting sometimes seems to interfere with the main train of thought. A long reference list at the end of each chapter enhances the focus. Each chapter closes with a summary of the information offered and the last chapter ties the whole book together by placing IUD complications in perspective. I found the discussion of pelvic inflammatory disease long, confusing, very statistical and nonconclusive. Although the book is nicely presented With its clear type and cloth binding I think the very scholarly presentation and inflationary price make this a book of interest to only a few nurse~midwives specializing in family planning.
Maternal-Newborn Nursing: Care of the Growing Family, 2nd Edition. By Adele Pillitteri. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1981. 744 pages. $22.95 hardcover. Reviewed by: Helen Jacobson, C.N.M.
Maternal-Newborn Nursing is the first of a two-volume set of textbooks entitled
Care of the Growing Family. This first volume concerns the nursing care of the family from the planning of a pregnancy through infant care. The second volume, a pediatric nursing text, is not being reviewed here. This text is written for nursing students. The book also offers much to a graduate nurse who wishes to review facts, or find references to expand her knowledge. Midwives will find the "Health Assessment for the Newborn" chapter to be an excellent data base for review. The text is
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discussion of dysmenorrhea is incomplete without reference to prostaglandins as the role of prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors cannot be adequately evaluated and compared to the behavioral modification therapies for dysmenorrhea outlined in this book. The chapters on behavioral modification of dysmenorrhea are very interesting and very valuable. There should, however, be a discussion of the medical therapies of dysmenorrhea and certainly one would hope that in the future the two therapies would be compared in a random fashion. There is a chapter on the politics of menopause which is a very one-sided discussion. Many positive aspects of estrogen replacement therapy are ignored. The risk/benefit ratio is very inadequately discussed. It is more an attack on the Ayerst Drug Company than an adequate discussion on menopause. There are a number of chapters which examine the psychological effects of hysterectomy. These chapters are very good and revealing because they do not appear to have any preconceptions. They point out a number of interesting shortterm problems of hysterectomy. There are several chapters examining the role of prior teaching on young girls' response to menarche and on women's response to menopause. They brought attention to how prior conditioning from relatives, peers, and teachers can alter a woman's response to menarche and menopause. These kinds of studies are invaluable if we are to know how to alter our cultural attitudes and our teaching of young girls and women about these two important landmarks in their lives. There are many superb chapters showing no bias and great objectivity and there are others where the prejudice makes the results and their discussion questionable. Again I would recommend this book be read by anyone who is already quite familiar with the medical and scientific aspects of the menstrual cycle and is interested in mood and cognitive changes in the menstrual cycle. Many of the points brought out are very important and are often lacking in medical and scientific discussions of the menstrual cycle. The chapters touch on important aspects that everyone dealing in women's health care have and should deal with. It is a pity that members of the medical community did not contribute chapters to a book entitled "An Interdisciplinary Approach".
Journal of Nurse-Midwifery • Vol. 27, No. 2, March/April 1982
Intrauterine Devices and Their Complications. By David Edelman, Gary Berger and Louis Keith. Boston: G.K. Hall & Company, 1979. 263 pages. $20.00 hardcover. Reviewed by: Patricia Urbanus, C.N.M., M,S.N. This scholarly text offers all the current information a practitioner needs to know about the IUD, and then some. The ten chapters include a historical development, mechanism of action, performance evaluation, the topics of insertion, perforation, bleeding, cervical and uterine pathology, intrauterine pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy and fertility after removal. Research studies are quoted wherever appropriate. In fact, research reporting sometimes seems to interfere with the main train of thought. A long reference list at the end of each chapter enhances the focus. Each chapter closes with a summary of the information offered and the last chapter ties the whole book together by placing IUD complications in perspective. I found the discussion of pelvic inflammatory disease long, confusing, very statistical and nonconclusive. Although the book is nicely presented With its clear type and cloth binding I think the very scholarly presentation and inflationary price make this a book of interest to only a few nurse~midwives specializing in family planning.
Maternal-Newborn Nursing: Care of the Growing Family, 2nd Edition. By Adele Pillitteri. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1981. 744 pages. $22.95 hardcover. Reviewed by: Helen Jacobson, C.N.M.
Maternal-Newborn Nursing is the first of a two-volume set of textbooks entitled
Care of the Growing Family. This first volume concerns the nursing care of the family from the planning of a pregnancy through infant care. The second volume, a pediatric nursing text, is not being reviewed here. This text is written for nursing students. The book also offers much to a graduate nurse who wishes to review facts, or find references to expand her knowledge. Midwives will find the "Health Assessment for the Newborn" chapter to be an excellent data base for review. The text is
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