In the Author Spotlight:
D. Gary Benfield, M.D. and
Cynthia S. Kelley, D.O.,
authors of
Prescription Drugs in Pregnancy

 

Consumers ask: Is Prozac safe for unborn babies?  It it okay for my pregnant wife to be taking Lithium?  You’ll find answers to questions like these for more than 300 prescription drugs in “Prescription Drugs in Pregnancy: Your Guide to Fetal Risk for Hundreds of Drugs.”

But co-authors D. Gary Benfield, M.D. and Cynthia S. Kelley, D.O. don’t stop there.  They also designed this book to help meet the need of clinicians like doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and trainees for up-to-date information about which drugs are safe and appropriate for their patients during pregnancy. That’s why the book comes in two versions - standard and pocket-guide size, which fits nicely in a white coat pocket - and can also be downloaded to any mobile digital device, including iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, and Kindle.

Dr. Benfield practiced neonatology – taking care of sick newborns – at Akron Children’s Hospital in Akron, Ohio for 35 years.  He is Professor Emeritus of Clinical Pediatrics at the Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy in Rootstown, Ohio.  He has written “The Baby Beat,” a weekly column for The Review, Alliance, Ohio’s daily newspaper, for the past 14 years, and is the author of “Walking the Baby Beat: Answers to Hundreds of Your Healthcare Questions,” also published by Smart Start Press.

Dr. Benfield received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland; his M.D. from the University of Maryland School of Medicine; and his M.A. in Philosophy from Kent State University.  After three years of residency in pediatrics, a two-year stint as a pediatrician in the U.S. Air Force, and a two-year fellowship in neonatology, he arrived in Akron, Ohio in 1972 as Head of Neonatology at Akron Children’s Hospital.  “It was my dream job,” he said.  “I took care of seriously ill babies, published clinical research, and taught residents and nurses in training.  I couldn’t ask for a more gratifying job than that.”

Dr. Benfield’s co-author, Cindy Kelley, D.O. received her B.A. in Zoology from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and her D.O. from the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine.  After completing her residency training in Family Medicine at the Summa Family Medicine Center in Akron, Ohio, she joined the Center’s faculty where she has practiced family medicine and obstetrics since 2004.  Dr. Kelley is currently Associate Director of the Family Medicine Residency Program and an Associate Professor of Family Medicine at the Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy.

When asked what it’s like balancing family and career, she said, “Balancing a career in medicine with four daughters and a spouse who is also a physician is something I work on every single day.  There are three keys: You have to maintain perspective and know what matters, you need to be flexible, and you must have help (we have a fantastic nanny)!  Oh, and you have to take care of yourself, whether through exercise, reading, cooking, or other things.  You can’t take care of others if you, yourself, are a mess.”

Dr. Kelly has four young daughters, Emma, Sarah, Rebecca and Laura.  Her husband, Mike, is an Emergency Medicine physician.

Dr. Benfield has three grown daughters, Terree, Laura, and Cindy, and six granddaughters.  His wife, Cathy, is a counseling psychologist and his dearest friend.  And, if you haven’t figured it out by now, his youngest daughter, Cindy, is Cindy Kelly, D.O., co-author of this book. The cover picture is Cindy’s sister, Laura. Laura’s husband took the photo and is honored to have the photo on the book.

His next book?  A twin volume called “Nonprescription Drugs in Pregnancy: Your Guide to Fetal Risk for the Active Ingredients in 500 Over-The-Counter Drugs.”  Don’t miss it!

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To purchase your copy of Prescription Drugs in Pregnancy, visit
http://www.atlasbooks.com/marktplc/10396.htm

To purchase your copy of Nonprescription Drugs in Pregnancy, visit
http://www.atlasbooks.com/marktplc/10433.htm

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