title: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Leeds, UK, j.o.drife@leeds.ac.uk
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Drife
mesh_terms: D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000266:history; D005113:Extraction, Obstetrical / Q000266:history; D005260:Female; D049668:History, 15th Century; D049669:History, 16th Century; D049670:History, 17th Century; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D008428:Maternal Mortality; D008880:Midwifery / Q000266:history; D009774:Obstetrics / Q000266:history*; D011247:Pregnancy