Forceps delivery is a form of assisted vaginal childbirth in which a doctor uses an instrument made of two curved metal blades to grip the baby's head and gently guide it out through the birth canal. It is used instead of a cesarean section or vacuum extraction when the mother is exhausted or has a medical condition that makes prolonged pushing risky, or when the baby's heart rate shows signs of distress and needs to be delivered quickly. Before the forceps are applied, the cervix must be fully dilated, the membranes ruptured, and the baby's head position confirmed; the outcome of the delivery depends heavily on the skill and experience of the person performing it.
Facts
FAQs
What are the risks of a forceps delivery for the mother and baby?
Risks include more severe tears and bowel or bladder problems for the mother, and temporary bruising or facial nerve injury for the baby; serious bleeding is very rare.
Most forceps-assisted vaginal births are safe when an experienced doctor does them correctly. The main risks for the mother are more severe vaginal tears, which can take longer to heal and rarely need surgery to repair, and problems with urinating or moving the bowels after delivery. For the baby, the usual effects are bumps, bruises or marks on the head or face that heal in days or weeks. Pressure from the forceps can also injure the baby's facial nerves, causing a drooping of the facial muscles that returns to normal as the nerves heal. Bleeding inside the baby's head is more serious but very rare.
Sources
1. Wikipedia
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia Foundation
2. Obstetrical forceps (Wikipedia)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obstetrical_forceps, lead section
Obstetrical forceps are a medical instrument used in childbirth.
Section: Historical role in the medicalisation of childbirth
Since the forceps in childbirth were made public around 1720, they gave male doctors a way to assist and even oversee childbirths.
In Group: Childbirth and Obstetric Procedures, Introduction
Obstetrical forceps are a medical instrument used in childbirth.
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