Your Developing Baby, Conception to Birth by Peter M. Doubilet, Carol B. Benson, Roanne Weisman

Synopsis

A captivating look at your baby’s growth during pregnancy

Using 3-D and conventional ultrasound images, two professors of radiology at Harvard Medical School give you a unique look into how your baby develops, from conception to birth. Drs. Peter Doubilet and Carol Benson explain what each image shows and what medical professionals look for to ensure that the baby is developing normally.

The 3-D images show the baby’s “outside,” while the conventional ultrasound images, along with the medical explanation and unique drawings, help you understand what’s happening with your baby’s organs, skeletal and digestive systems, brain, and heart. Not to mention how to tell if it is a girl or a boy before birth!

Janet M. Schneider - Library Journal

Ultrasound has become a common practice in pregnancy, both to confirm the health of the fetus and to provide information about gender to the prospective parents. Using 250 diagnostic ultrasound images, Harvard radiology professors Doubilet and Carol B. Benson, with health writer Roanne Weisman, present a marvelous book charting the growth of babies in the womb. Readers are taken through the entire reproductive process, from ovulation through the third trimester. Each of the images is paired with a mirroring line drawing that clarifies the image through labels, helping the reader to "see" even the smallest nuance. Multiple pregnancies earn a chapter; other diagnostic testing, such as amniocentesis, is mentioned. The authors well explain the different types of ultrasound and their medical uses, especially the 3D images that show the outer surface of the baby and the 2D images revealing the internal development of organs. This virtual tour of a life in the making will attract future parents in droves.

Biography

Peter M. Doubilet, M.D., Ph.D., and Carol B. Benson, M.D., are both professors of radiology at Harvard Medical School. He is the senior vice chair of radiology and she is director of ultrasound and codirector of high-risk obstetrical ultrasound at Brigham and Women's Hospital. The married couple have five children together.

Roanne Weisman is a professional health writer.