[On the reliability of case history data on parturition (author's transl)]

Case history data on the course of parturition (recorded during the sixth week of life and the twelfth month of life) are compared with each other, as well as with the actual course of parturition, within the framework of a prospective study covering the first year of life. The information regarding auxiliary obstetrical measures, position anomalies, as well as deviations from the normal weight at birth, were associated with a probability of error of less than five per cent. All other data regarding umbilical cord complications, asphyxia, etc. were associated with various error probabilities up to 20 per cent. It is concluded from these results that data on the history of parturition merely have the character of good estimates on account of their poor validity and reliability. This must be taken into account both in the statistical processing of medical data and in the employment of case history data for the pathogenetic interpretation of an actual disease picture, especially minimal cerebral dysfunction in children (MCD).