Getting Pregnant ­ A Guide for the Infertile Couple

Aniruddha Malpani
Anjali Malpani
Anne de Braganca Cunha

The search is over. This is without doubt the most informative and readable book that the lay person searching for information on infertility can hope to find in this part of the world. Using easy-to-understand language, the authors explain the whole process of human reproduction, the infertility treatments available, and most importantly how couples can cope with the emotional crisis of being childless.

The book is divided into 41 essential chapters beginning with the basics on 'making a baby' and going over the whole gamut of investigations, diagnosis, and treatments. The book can be read 'cover-to-cover, although every chapter has its own detailed introduction allowing it to be read as a 'stand-alone'. As such, I am sure this book will be useful even to the family physician and the general gynaecologist who are necessarily the first referral step for an infertile couple seeking medical help for their condition.

Getting Pregnant is consistently illustrated with simple but helpful line diagrams which complement the text. What is particularly impressive is the break in the scientific flow of thoughts with humourous and topical cartoons by Dr Hemant Morparia which are both incisive and apt.

A particularly outstanding chapter is the one on recurrent miscarriage where the causes, treatment, and planning of a subsequent pregnancy are comprehensively laid out.

Elsewhere, coverage of intrauterine insemination and 'test-tube babies' includes discussion of the cost factor a commendable move. In addition, in this recently updated for the millennium issue, the latest assisted reproductive technologies are described, including zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT), embryo freezing, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), and preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD).

Preventing infertility is much easier and better than treating it. The penultimate chapter is devoted to this aspect and it outlines what the couple can do to reduce their risk of being infertile. The most important points that this book seeks to make are that the infertile couple should:

1. Not lose hope; and

2. Actively participate in their management.

Indeed, I am convinced that this book will help in empowering infertile couples with the right information and knowledge so that they can make the best choices for themselves.

Gautam Allahbadia

www.fogsi.org

Developing the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI) website

The internet has brought in a revolution in communication. It offers FOGSI the opportunity of communicating with its constituent members irrespective of distance at a very low (affordable) cost. In this respect also, the Internet is a great 'equaliser', disseminating the same level of information to members in remote eastern states as to those in modern Mumbai, for example.

At this point, the vision of Past President Dr Mehroo Hansotia in accepting the conception of the FOGSI website is acknowledged.

Although still very much in development, the FOGSI website already has in place links to the following:

• The guest book.
  
  
• Speeches from past and current presidents.
  
  
• News about FOGSI.
  
  
• Details of FOGSI office bearers, societies, and committees.
  
  
• The Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of India, the official organ of FOGSI.
  
  
• The 44^th All India Congress of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (AICOG) meeting to be held in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, December 2000.
  
  
• The chat room this 'open forum' should prove to be a regular 'haunt' for FOGSI members, where they can 'meet' each other in 'cyberspace' and give vent to their opinion on pertinent issues, thereby developing a more meaningful camaraderie. In this respect, it is anticipated that the website will have a great impact on members' practices.

In addition, many really useful features are planned for the site, including points of contact for queries on clinical and medico-legal matters. The overall aim of the venture will be to demonstrate how a web presence can be of benefit to FOGSI and its members countrywide (and beyond).

Suresh Deshpande