Birth
Introduction
Birth or parturition is a critical stage in development, representing in mammals a transition from direct maternal support of fetal development, physical expulsion and establishment of the newborns own respiratory, circulatory and digestive systems. These notes only cover the biological processes surrounding birth including fetal signaling changes and maternal signaling changes. Note that there is a growing worldwide trend in developed countries toward caesarean section delivery. There are a great number of comprehensive, scientific and general, books and articles that cover birth, childbirth or parturition. The time surrounding birth is known as the perinatal period.
USA Live Births and Fertility Rates
Births: Final data for 2006
Martin JA, Hamilton BE, Sutton PD, Ventura SJ, et al. Births: Final data for 2006. National vital statistics reports; vol 57 no 7. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2009. National vital statistics reports; vol 57 no 7 PDF
Australian Data
- --Mark Hill 09:00, 6 August 2009 (EST) Page under development - notice removed when completed.
Historic Birth Models
About The Models - a series of models commissioned by Giuseppe Galletti (? - 1819) currently held in the Institute and Museum of the History of Science (Italy) Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza (IMSS). Giuseppe Galletti and others used terracotta and wax models that he had commissioned in Florence between 1770 and 1775 to train surgeons and midwives.
Image Source: Institute and Museum of the History of Science http://brunelleschi.imss.fi.it/museum/esim.asp?c=500156 Thanks to Sabina Bernacchini from Institute and Museum of the History of Science (Italy) IMSS for allowing reproduction of selected images from the Surgery and Obstetrics exhibition on this embryology education site.
References
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