ABSTRACT
Haematological abnormalities ........................................................ 144
Neurological disorders ......................................................................... 147
Respiratory disease ............................................................................... 149
Heart disease ............................................................................................. 151
Hypertensive disorders ........................................................................ 155
Renal disease ............................................................................................. 156
Gastroenterology ...................................................................................... 158
Liver disease .............................................................................................. 159
Connective tissue disease ................................................................. 161
Endocrinology ............................................................................................ 162
Skin disease ................................................................................................ 167
Additional reading ................................................................................... 168
Pregnancy is a normal physiological event during which most women remain fi t and well. However, it may cause specifi c
medical conditions. There are few medical disorders that are associated with sterility, although some may reduce a woman’s
fertility. Therefore it is not uncommon to encounter pregnant women with pre-existing medical diseases. Both pregnancy-
specifi c and pre-existing medical conditions may in some circumstances be associated with signifi cant maternal and fetal
morbidity and, more rarely, mortality.
