Both theory and animal experiments often relate impairment of fertility and fetal development to the stress of hypoxia. This comprehensive, penetrating study includes critical reviews of theory and experiments as well as of previous studies of human birth weight and neonatal mortality at high altitudes in the United States. It also reports on studies of mothers, placentas, and the newborn in two Peruvian populations, one in the Andes, the other at sea level. It presents new evidence on the functional significance of various aspects of placental anatomy and on racial differences in maternal ability to nourish the fetus at high altitudes.

The exact process by which the fertilized mammalian ovum becomes implanted upon the uterine surface remains something of a mystery, and yet successful reproduction depends upon it. Two methods of contraception—the intrauterine device and the “morning-after pill”—are thought to be effective because they disrupt or prevent the process of implantation, but the biological basis of their effect is still imperfectly understood.

This book brings together authoritative accounts by leaders in the field of reproductive biology, researchers who have closely investigated implantation. The subject is approached from several angles: biochemical, endocrinological, pharmacological, anatomic, and immunological. A review of recent studies on implantation serves to put the individual reports in context. This book provides a needed perspective on an important area of reproduction research.