The start of life: a history of obstetrics

Abstract

Obstetric intervention originally consisted of extraction of the baby, usually by the breech, to save the mother’s life in obstructed labour. Forceps, introduced in the 17th century, were later refined by men-midwives like William Smellie. In Victorian times, Simpson championed chloroform anaesthesia, Lister pioneered antisepsis, and caesarean section was introduced. In 1935, however, Britain’s maternal mortality rate was still around 400/100 000. It fell dramatically after antibiotics appeared and is now 11.4. In the 1960s ultrasound and electronic fetal monitoring became widely used. In 2000 the British caesarean section rate reached 20%. Worldwide, childbirth still causes 600 000 maternal deaths a year.

Lady Sybil’s death inDownton Abbey: how right and wrong are her doctors?

“…In 1892, Green had noted that six of 10 pre-eclamptic patients had died in whom labour had been induced. 2 Similar reports of dismal results after operations had followed.…”

A New( Natural) Way of Inhancing Labour Process: While Lying Down Supine/Left Lateral Position Meanwhile Sometimes in Between Attempt of Passing Urine in Pan/Pot By Patient Herself.

“…(5) In the first stage of labour vertical positions merits in association with decreased labour duration decreased pain and resulting in an increased patient"s comfort (13,14) The French obstetrician Mauriceau (*1637 - †1709) conducted delivery in bed and horizontal position was advised , for control of the childbirth process. Than it took trend in practice and the horizontal position became known as the "French Position " (1) The "French Position" was considered convenient for health professionals; it facilitated examination and obstetric procedures for the obstetrician (15) The American national survey "Listening to Mothers" from 2002 advised that 74 % gave birth vaginally, lying on their backs throughout the second stage of labour 16 .In our study we found significant decrease in first and second stage of duration by instructing to pass urine and by putting effort of pass urine in the pan by study group patients. As Ganapathy et.…”

Perinatal outcomes for Bella Coola General Hospital: 1940 to 2001.

“…There is controversy and debate over who performed the first cesarean section with some saying it was in 1500 by a Swill sow gilder named Jacob Nufer; and others who note it was Francois Rousset who called the operation a 'hysterotomotokie' (Drife, 2002;Murphy, 2002). There are other people labeled as performing the first and it appears somewhat debatable and potentially culturally reflective.…”

“…Maternal mortality in Canada is less than 1% o f all deaths o f women, whereas it accounts for 25 to 30 percent o f deaths o f women in developing countries (Lalonde, 1998). Another source states the maternal mortality rate in developing countries is as high as 1%, and one woman dies in pregnancy every minute o f every day due to sepsis, haemorrhage, hypertensive disease, and unsafe abortion (Drife, 2002). There is an estimated worldwide maternal mortality o f 500,000 a year; 25% due to hemorrhage, 15 % related to sepsis, 12 % due to hypertensive disorders, 8% related to obstructed labour, and 13 % due to abortion (WHO, 1994).…”

“…In Rio de Janeiro the caesarean section rate is around 90% (Drife, 2002). In China, county hospitals had rates o f 30%, whereas district hospitals had rates o f 73% (Qiân, et al, 2001).…”