birth

birth or labor, delivery of the fetus by the viviparous mammal. Birth is also known as parturition. Human birth normally occurs about 280 days after onset of the last menstrual period before conception.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Complications of Childbirth
• Natural Childbirth
• Methods of Analgesia
• The Stages of Labor
• Bibliography

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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