[A watershed in Norwegian obstetrics]

Area of Science:

• Medical History
• Obstetrics
• Public Health

Context:

• 19th-century Norway saw the professionalization of obstetrics.
• The Maternity Clinic in Christiania (Oslo) was central to this development.

Purpose:

• To analyze the evolution of obstetric practices and outcomes at the Maternity Clinic in Christiania during the latter half of the 19th century.

Summary:

• Analysis of 1231 patient files from 1852, 1872, and 1892 revealed a fivefold increase in deliveries.
• Maternal mortality dropped below 1% due to reduced childbed fever.
• Operative deliveries, including forceps use, increased, with fetal distress becoming an unrecorded indication.

Impact:

• The clinic became a safer option, attracting a broader socioeconomic demographic.
• Despite improvements, only 15% of deliveries occurred at the clinic by the century's end.
• Patient file scrutiny remains vital for understanding historical and contemporary obstetric data.