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Childbirth

This article is about birth in humans. For birth in non-human mammals and other animals, see Birth. For the band Childbirth, see Childbirth (band).

Childbirth
Other namesLabour and delivery, partus, giving birth, parturition, birth, confinement[1][2]
Mother and newborn baby shown with vernix caseosa covering
SpecialtyObstetrics, midwifery
ComplicationsObstructed labour, postpartum bleeding, eclampsia, postpartum infection, birth asphyxia, neonatal hypothermia[3][4][5]
TypesVaginal delivery, C-section[6][7]
CausesPregnancy
PreventionBirth control, elective abortion
Frequency135 million (2015)[8]
Deaths500,000 maternal deaths a year[5]

Childbirth, also known as labour, parturition and delivery, is the completion of pregnancy where one or more babies exits the internal environment of the mother via vaginal delivery or caesarean section.[7] In 2019, there were about 140.11 million human births globally.[9] In the developed countries, most deliveries occur in hospitals,[10][11] while in the developing countries most are home births.[12]

The most common childbirth method worldwide is vaginal delivery.[6] It involves four stages of labour: the shortening and opening of the cervix during the first stage, descent and birth of the baby during the second, the delivery of the placenta during the third, and the recovery of the mother and infant during the fourth stage, which is referred to as the postpartum. The first stage is characterised by abdominal cramping or also back pain in the case of back labour,[13] that typically lasts half a minute and occurs every 10 to 30 minutes.[14] Contractions gradually become stronger and closer together.[15] Since the pain of childbirth correlates with contractions, the pain becomes more frequent and strong as the labour progresses. The second stage ends when the infant is fully expelled. The third stage is the delivery of the placenta.[16] The fourth stage of labour involves the recovery of the mother, delayed clamping of the umbilical cord, and monitoring of the neonate.[17] As of 2014, all major health organisations advise that immediately following a live birth, regardless of the delivery method, that the infant be placed on the mother's chest (termed skin-to-skin contact), and to delay neonate procedures for at least one to two hours or until the baby has had its first breastfeeding.[18][19][20]

Vaginal delivery is generally recommended as a first option. Cesarean section can lead to increased risk of complications and a significantly slower recovery. There are also many natural benefits of a vaginal delivery in both mother and baby. Various methods may help with pain, such as relaxation techniques, opioids, and spinal blocks.[15] It is best practice to limit the amount of interventions that occur during labour and delivery such as an elective cesarean section, however in some cases a scheduled cesarean section must be planned for a successful delivery and recovery of the mother. An emergency cesarean section may be recommended if unexpected complications occur or little to no progression through the birthing canal is observed in a vaginal delivery.

Each year, complications from pregnancy and childbirth result in about 500,000 birthing deaths, seven million women have serious long-term problems, and 50 million women giving birth have negative health outcomes following delivery, most of which occur in the developing world.[5] Complications in the mother include obstructed labour, postpartum bleeding, eclampsia, and postpartum infection.[5] Complications in the baby include lack of oxygen at birth (birth asphyxia), birth trauma, and prematurity.[4][21]

  1. ^ "confinement – Definition of confinement in English by Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries – English. Archived from the original on 23 November 2018. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  2. ^ "Confinement – meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary". Cambridge Dictionary.
  3. ^ Lunze K, Bloom DE, Jamison DT, Hamer DH (January 2013). "The global burden of neonatal hypothermia: systematic review of a major challenge for newborn survival". BMC Medicine. 11 (1): 24. doi:10.1186/1741-7015-11-24. PMC 3606398. PMID 23369256.
  4. ^ a b Martin RJ, Fanaroff AA, Walsh MC (2014). Fanaroff and Martin's Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine: Diseases of the Fetus and Infant. Elsevier Health Sciences. p. 116. ISBN 978-0-323-29537-6. Archived from the original on 11 September 2017.
  5. ^ a b c d Education material for teachers of midwifery: midwifery education modules (PDF) (2nd ed.). Geneva [Switzerland]: World Health Organisation. 2008. p. 3. ISBN 978-92-4-154666-9. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 February 2015.
  6. ^ a b Memon HU, Handa VL (May 2013). "Vaginal childbirth and pelvic floor disorders". Women's Health. 9 (3): 265–77, quiz 276–77. doi:10.2217/whe.13.17. PMC 3877300. PMID 23638782.
  7. ^ a b Martin E (2015). Concise Colour Medical l.p.Dictionary. Oxford University Press. p. 375. ISBN 978-0-19-968799-2. Archived from the original on 11 September 2017.
  8. ^ "The World Factbook". www.cia.gov. 11 July 2016. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  9. ^ "Number of births and deaths per year". Our World in Data. Archived from the original on 14 June 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  10. ^ Co-Operation, Organisation for Economic; Development (2009). Doing better for children. Paris: OECD. p. 105. ISBN 978-92-64-05934-4. Archived from the original on 11 September 2017.
  11. ^ Olsen, Ole; Clausen, Jette A. (8 March 2023). "Planned hospital birth compared with planned home birth for pregnant women at low risk of complications". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2023 (3): CD000352. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD000352.pub3. ISSN 1469-493X. PMC 9994459. PMID 36884026.
  12. ^ Fossard Ed, Bailey M (2016). Communication for Behavior Change: Volume lll: Using Entertainment–Education for Distance Education. Sage Publications India. ISBN 978-93-5150-758-1. Archived from the original on 11 September 2017. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
  13. ^ "What Are the Different Types of Contractions?". Parents. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  14. ^ "Birth". The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia (6 ed.). Columbia University Press. 2016. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2016 – via Encyclopedia.com.
  15. ^ a b "Pregnancy Labor and Birth". Women's Health. 27 September 2010. Archived from the original on 28 July 2016. Retrieved 31 July 2016. The first stage begins with the onset of labour and ends when the cervix is fully opened. It is the longest stage of labour, usually lasting about 12 to 19 hours
    ..
    The second stage involves pushing and delivery of your baby. It usually lasts 20 minutes to two hours.
  16. ^ McDonald SJ, Middleton P, Dowswell T, Morris PS (July 2013). "Effect of timing of umbilical cord clamping of term infants on maternal and neonatal outcomes". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 7 (7): CD004074. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD004074.pub3. PMC 6544813. PMID 23843134.
  17. ^ "Stages of Labor". www.bidmc.org. Archived from the original on 27 May 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  18. ^ Phillips, Raylene. "Uninterrupted Skin-to-Skin Contact Immediately After Birth". Medscape. Archived from the original on 3 April 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  19. ^ "Essential Antenatal, Perinatal and Postpartum Care" (PDF). Promoting Effective Perinatal Care. WHO. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  20. ^ "Care of healthy women and their babies during childbirth". National Collaborating Centre for Women's and Children's Health. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. December 2014. Archived from the original on 12 February 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  21. ^ World Health Organization. "Newborns: reducing mortality". World Health Organization. Archived from the original on 3 April 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2017.