ABSTRACT
It is widely acknowledged that pregnancy is a state associated with drastic physiological and psychological changes. The alterations in maternal physiology that are initiated and maintained by pregnancy-related hormone secretions can, for the most part, be interpreted as biological adaptations to the needs of the developing fetus. In certain individuals, however, pregnancy heralds the appearance of significant physiopathology that places both the mother and the fetus at medical risk. Gestational diabetes and hypertension are relatively common examples of such pregnancy-related pathology (Danforth, 1982).
