Obstetrics through the retrospectroscope.

This essay is a personal comparison of obstetrics in the 1930s and the 1970s. Maternal and perinatal mortality are contrasted for the two eras. Hospital delivery then and now, and hospital versus home delivery are compared. Changing patterns of operative delivery are presented with special reference to the increasing incidence of cesarean section. Continuing medical education and electronic fetal monitoring are discussed. The use of drugs during pregnancy, labor, and delivery is considered. Governmental and public intervention in obstetrics is lamented.