Vaginal delivery after caesarean delivery in the days of the Talmud (2nd century BCE -6th century CE).
Caesarean delivery was practised for ages, almost always as a postmortem procedure. It is referred to in the myths and folklore of many ancient societies, for some of the infants so delivered survived, although their mothers did not. A fascinating medical situation of vaginal birth after caesarean delivery that may have occurred in the days of the Talmud is described in Mishna, Bechoroth, chapter 2, page 47. Maimonides (1135-1204) suggested that this passage described a vaginal delivery of a second twin during a caesarean section. This paper discusses which of these two possibilities was more likely to occur in the days of the Talmud (roughly 2nd century B.C.E. to 6th century C.E).
Lurie
Samuel
S
Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Edith Wolfson Medical Center, Holon, Israel. lurie@nashim.net
D005260:Female; D049690:History, Ancient; D049691:History, Medieval; D006801:Humans; D007599:Judaism / Q000266:history*; D011247:Pregnancy; D016064:Vaginal Birth after Cesarean / Q000266:history*