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Seminars in Fetal & Neonatal Medicine (2007) 12, 94

BOOK REVIEW

Richard Martin, Avroy Fanaroff, Michele Walsh (Eds.),Fanaroff and Martin’s NeonatalePerinatal Medicine,Diseases of the Fetus and Infant, eighth ed. Elsevier Mosby,Philadelphia, 2006, ISBN: 0323029663, 1819 pp. (in 2volumes), £000.00.

Neonataleperinatal medicine has been evolving con-stantly during the last three decades. Consequently, thereis a real need for up-to-date information in this area:Fanaroff and Martin deserve so much credit for doing justthat by producing a marvelous text book and updating itevery 4e5 years since 1973. This new 8th edition, two-volume book, like the previous editions, is a compendium ofuseful information and covers the broad range of topics eall too pertinent for a practicing Neonatologist.

The book is comprehensively updated to reflectdevelopments representing every specialty relevant toneonataleperinatal medicine. Although the book is of USorigin, its relevance is world wide. The editors have donea fine job of selecting knowledgeable authors (138 in total)and yet exercising sufficient editorial control over theformat and contents of each chapter to maintain consis-tency. Complimenting this format is an extensive subjectindex which is so necessary for a book such as this thatcovers so much material. The developments in printing andpublishing have been used with pleasing results and the

doi:10.1016/j.siny.2006.08.001

availability of the book on a CD-Rom solves the problems ofportability and accessibility. Each chapter is easy to readand clearly summarized with appropriate use of illustra-tions and tables.

Looking for the downside? The book suffers from thesame criticism as any other text book: they are already‘old’ by the time they get published. Many of thereferences, including Meta analysis and randomized con-trolled trials, some carried out 20 years ago, may not haveany real, meaningful relevance to the current practice andshould, perhaps, be omitted to avoid confusion. Beingdoyens of neonatology themselves, the editors will mostlikely take this into account for future editions or re-visions. Despite this minor criticism, the book in its currentform still stands out as one of the most authoritative,interesting and up-to-date compilation on the subject ofneonatal and perinatal medicine that all neonatal practi-tioners and departmental libraries must have as a referencebook.

Sunil SinhaUniversity of Durham, UK

andJames Cook University Hospital,

Middlesbrough TS4 3BW, UKE-mail address: sunil.sinha@stees.nhs.uk