Book excerpt: Maternal-fetal medicine has evolved over the last three decades to become a well-established discipline. The current understanding of maternal physiology and pathophysiology has allowed us to obtain more accurate diagnoses and to provide more effective treatments of medical, surgical, and obstetrical maternal complications. More importantly, the fetus has become a distinct individual whose in utero environment has become much more accessible to study, diagnose, and treatment. Clinical Maternal-Fetal Medicine addresses the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of common medical and obstetrical maternal complications and fetal complications. It provides a concise and timely review of clinically relevant topics in this discipline. The textbook is a comprehensive reference covering the wide range of disciplines that make up maternal-fetal medicine.