Reproduction And Development Codexery

Childbirth

Completion of pregnancy resulting in one or more newborns.

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The process that ends a pregnancy, where one or more fetuses leave the mother's body either through the vagina or by a caesarean section, is called childbirth, labour, or delivery.[1] A global total of roughly 132 million human births happened in the year 2023.[2] Worldwide, the most frequent method of giving birth is vaginal delivery, which proceeds through a sequence of three distinct stages.[3]

Key facts and history

The cervix is fully dilated when it reaches 10 centimeters.[4] Each year, complications from pregnancy and childbirth result in about 260,000 birthing deaths.[5] The reemergence of "natural childbirth" began in Europe and was adopted by some in the US as early as the late 1940s.[6] Labour's three stages consist of: first, the cervix shortening and opening; second, the baby descending and being born; and third, the placenta being delivered.[7]

Powerful, recurring uterine contractions are the primary indicator that labour has begun.[8] The breaking of the amniotic sac, frequently referred to as the "water breaking", is another key sign of labour.[9] Following the rupture of the membranes, uterine contractions usually commence within a 24-hour period.[10] The postpartum phase is a recovery period for both the mother and her newborn, during which medical staff keep watch over them.[11]

Placing the newborn directly onto the mother's chest, a practice called skin-to-skin contact, is recommended immediately after birth by all major health organizations.[12]

What the cited sources add

The Office on Women's Health states that most women in childbirth do not need episiotomy.[4] The same source notes that epidural and spinal blocks allow most women to be awake and alert with very little pain during labor and childbirth.[4] The Cleveland Clinic states that if you are less than 34 weeks pregnant, your healthcare provider may delay delivery by using antibiotics to prevent infection.[10] A Guardian article by Campbell reports that the Cochrane Library research found newborns receive more iron if the umbilical cord is left for several minutes before being clamped.[13]

The same article notes that the medical royal colleges want hospitals to switch to routinely delaying clamping for several minutes.[13] The Medscape article by Phillips states that the AAP recommends healthy infants be placed in direct skin-to-skin contact with their mothers immediately after delivery until the first feeding is accomplished.[14]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Childbirth" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Martin, "Concise Colour Medical l.p.Dictionary", Oxford University Press, 2015, p. 375 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Childbirth" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Number of births and deaths per year", Our World in Data; Co-Operation, "Doing better for children", OECD, 2009, p. 105; Olsen, "Planned hospital birth compared with planned home birth for pregnant women at low risk of complications", The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 8 March 2023; Fossard, "Communication for Behavior Change: Volume lll: Using Entertainment–Education for Distance Education", Sage Publications India, 2016 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Childbirth" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Vaginal childbirth and pelvic floor disorders", Women's Health, May 2013, p. 265–77; quiz 276–77 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. "Pregnancy Labor and Birth", Office on Women's Health, 25 September 2025. facts only, no text reused. womenshealth.gov
  5. Wikipedia, "Childbirth" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Maternal mortality", World Health Organization, 27 April 2025; "Education material for teachers of midwifery: midwifery education modules", World Health Organization, 2008; "Education material for teachers of midwifery: midwifery education modules", World Health Organization, 2008; Martin, "Fanaroff and Martin's Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine: Diseases of the Fetus and Infant", Elsevier Health Sciences, 2014, p. 116; World Health Organization, "Newborns: reducing mortality", World Health Organization (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Childbirth" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Hutter Epstein, M.D., Randi (2011). Get Me Out: A History of Childbirth from the Garden of Eden to the Sperm Bank. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.; "Verification Required - Princeton University Library"; A natural process? Women, men and the medicalisation of childbirth". broughttolife.sciencemuseum.org.uk. Retrieved 3 December 2018. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Childbirth" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Birth", Columbia University Press, 2016; "Pregnancy Labor and Birth", Office on Women's Health, 25 September 2025 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Wikipedia, "Childbirth" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Labor, "The Pain of Labour", Reviews in Pain, 1 December 2008, p. 15–19 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  9. Wikipedia, "Childbirth" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Labor and delivery, postpartum care", Mayo Clinic (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  10. "Water Breaking", Cleveland Clinic. facts only, no text reused. my.clevelandclinic.org
  11. Wikipedia, "Childbirth" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Pregnancy Labor and Birth", Office on Women's Health, 25 September 2025 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  12. Wikipedia, "Childbirth" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Brimdyr, "Skin-to-skin contact after birth: Developing a research and practice guideline", Acta Paediatrica, 11 May 2023, p. 1633–1643; Phillips, "Uninterrupted Skin-to-Skin Contact Immediately After Birth", Medscape; "Care of healthy women and their babies during childbirth", National Collaborating Centre for Women's and Children's Health, December 2014; "Skin-to-skin contact", UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  13. Campbell, "Hospitals warned to delay cutting umbilical cords after birth", The Guardian, 10 July 2013. facts only, no text reused. theguardian.com
  14. Phillips, "Uninterrupted Skin-to-Skin Contact Immediately After Birth", Medscape. facts only, no text reused. medscape.com

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Childbirth (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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