obstetrics

American  

[uhb-ste-triks] / əbˈstɛ trɪks /

noun

(used with a singular verb)

1. the branch of medical science concerned with childbirth and caring for and treating women in or in connection with childbirth. OB, ob

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obstetrics British  

/ ɒbˈstɛtrɪks /

noun

1. (functioning as singular) the branch of medicine concerned with childbirth and the treatment of women before and after childbirth

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obstetrics Scientific  

/ ŏb-stĕt′rĭks /

1. The branch of medicine that deals with the care of women during pregnancy and childbirth.

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obstetrics Cultural  

1. A branch of medicine that deals with the care of women during pregnancy, labor, and the period of recovery following childbirth.

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Etymology

Origin of obstetrics

First recorded in 1810–20; see origin at obstetric, -ics

Explanation

In medicine, obstetrics is the specialty that focuses on pregnancy and childbirth. A pregnant woman usually chooses a doctor or midwife who works in obstetrics. Doctors who care for patients before, during, and just after the birth of a baby are called obstetricians, and their field is obstetrics. Many of these doctors also practice as gynecologists — specialists in all women's medicine. The earliest definition of obstetrics is "the science of midwifery," from the Modern Latin obstetricus, "pertaining to a midwife," which has the root word obstetrix, "midwife," or literally "one who stands opposite."

Example Sentences

The work is published in the journal Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Women's Health and led by the Nuffield department of women's and reproductive health at the University of Oxford and Serac Healthcare.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

The results, published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women's Health, point to new possibilities for treating obesity and related health conditions in women after menopause.

From Science Daily • Mar. 23, 2026

In a study Wu published earlier this year in Obstetrics and Gynecology, videos on TikTok tagged with “#IUD” were more often negative than positive, with nearly all of them discussing pain or other side effects.

From Salon • Nov. 25, 2024

The research was presented at the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine’s annual pregnancy meeting in National Harbor, Md. An abstract was published in a supplement to the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology in January.

From New York Times • Feb. 12, 2024

In December 1971, when Jones and his colleagues published their tribute to Gey in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology, they reported that the original pathologist had “misinterpreted” and “mislabeled” Henrietta’s cancer.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot