[Obstetrics in Graz. A comparison 1887-1987]

We compared obstetric data from the archives in Graz for 1887 with those of 1987. In 1887, 85% of all deliveries took place in the home or with a midwife--compared with only 0.46% in 1987. Maternal mortality in 1887 was 0.75%; two-thirds of the deaths occurred in the puerperium. Perinatal mortality was 11.0% in 1887 and 1.03% in 1987. The intrauterine fetal death rate, including deaths during delivery, was 6.7% and 0.35%, respectively; 2.7% versus 0.26% were macerated. The percentage of stillbirths among unwed mothers is higher today than in 1887. Perinatal mortality in 1887 was frequently associated with prematurity, abnormal presentations, and operative vaginal deliveries. 14.4% of the children of multiple pregnancies died in utero or during delivery. In 1987, 83% of mothers were bearing their first or second child, as compared with 50% in 1887. Grand multiparae were much more common in 1887. The percentage of mothers under 20 years old is twice as high today as 100 years ago.