In July 1978 a group met in Aberdeen to discuss the whole range of new proteins recently isolated from the human placenta. With the exception of Yuri Tatarinov all the main pioneers in the field were present, and this book arose from the discussions which took place. Each author was asked to bring a written man uscript corresponding to but not necessarily identical with their verbal presentation. Nobody was given a specified remit, for the reason that the subject is so new that it would be impossible to design the meeting or the book in advance. Each speaker was left free to put on display...

Biochemical tests of fetal well-being ('placental function tests') have been part of routine obstetric practice for more than twenty years. This book provides an overview of the current status of these tests - the physiological basis for their use, and their advantages and limitations in clinical practice. Considerable attention is given to interpretation, a subject which in the past has led to much confusion both in the scientific literature and in the minds of clinicians. Recent advances are described in detail, in particular the discovery of a whole new generation of placental products...