Book excerpt: Cardiac Problems in Pregnancy offers clinicians the most detailed and comprehensive guide to diagnosing and managing pregnancy-associated cardiovascular diseases currently available. Covering a wide spectrum of congenital and acquired cardiovascular conditions, its extensive contents examine diseases of the heart with an expert awareness of the implications of pregnancy and the attendant physiological changes it brings. Such guidance is vitally required in an age in which congenital and acquired heart diseases are the leading causes of non-obstetrical maternal morbidity and mortality. Featuring 36 new or extensively revised chapters, this fourth edition of the book complements coverage of the latest research and clinical advances with a complete and up-to-date bibliography of literature on pregnancy in women with cardiovascular conditions. It also serves as a practical, step-by-step companion for those caring for heart disease patients during pregnancy, labor, and the post-partum period. Contents include: Coverage of all elements of maternal cardiology Newly written chapters featuring fresh research and data Guidance on performing risk assessments and interventions both prior to and during gestation Explanations of a range of diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to cardiovascular disease in pregnant patients Drawing on expertise from across the fields of cardiovascular medicine, obstetrics, anesthesiology, cardiac surgery, pharmacology, and clinical science, Cardiac Problems in Pregnancy is designed to give invaluable support to all medical professionals involved in maximizing the safety and success of cardiologically complex pregnancies.