Childbirth in ancient Rome

From traditional folklore to obstetrics

TODMAN, Donald

Brisbane Clinic, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Correspondence: Dr Don Todman, Brisbane Clinic, 79 Wickham Terrace, Brisbane, Qld 4000, Australia. Email: [email protected]

Received 06 October 2006; accepted 10 November 2006.

The Australian & New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology 47(2):p 82-85, April 2007.

In ancient Rome, childbirth was a hazardous event for both mother and child with high rates of infant and maternal mortality. Traditional Roman medicine centred on folklore and religious practices, but with the development of Hippocratic medicine came significant advances in the care of women during pregnancy and confinement. Midwives or obstetrices played an important role and applied rational scientific practices to improve outcomes. This evolution from folklore to obstetrics was a pivotal point in the history of childbirth.