The new obstetrics: its integration into neonatal clinical practise, teaching and research

Most neonatologists have not yet incorporated into their teaching, clinical service and research the advances in high risk obstetrics particularly as it relates to fetal surveillance. This brief review emphasizes some of the 'new obstetrics' from the viewpoint of perinatal medicine, particularly in terms of neonatal teaching and the design of future neonatal research. The information that can be obtained about an infant prenatally by the use of ultrasound, power doppler, computerized fetal heart rate monitoring, cordocentesis, etc is extensive and yet, has rarely been utilized in the design of neonatal research protocols. It is becoming imperative that the 'new obstetrics' be recognized and utilized in modern neonatal thinking if a truly 'perinatal medicine' is to be practised.