In 1954 Hendrik Verwoerd, one of the main architects of the apartheid system, said that blacks ought not to be trained above certain "forms of labour". These words, often quoted out of context, are commonly interpreted as ...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical effects of epidural block for pain relief during labour in an obstetric unit which manages mainly high-risk pregnancies. In the majority of the 62 patients studied only 5 ...

Objectives: To compare the effects of induction/labor to delivery before labor in early onset, severe pre-eclampsia. Methods: Five-year prospective case series. Delivery course and neonatal outcome were examined for 335 ...

The experience of obstetricians at Paarl Hospital with 2,251 epidural blocks for pain relief in labour is recorded. The incidence of 10.93% among the 20,590 mothers delivered can only be justified if adequate after-care ...

Ketanserin was administered intravenously as either 20 or 10 mg boluses to 16 patients with severe preeclampsia in labor. The fetal heart rate was monitored with a scalp electrode and the uterine contractions were evaluated ...

Objective. To determine the optimal way to manage patients with premature rupture of the membranes after 34 weeks' gestation. Design. A prospective, randomised controlled trial comparing immediate induction and delayed ...

All pregnancies involving twins weighing 500 g and more at birth were followed up prospectively over 6 months. There were 53 twins with a mean gestational age of 36.1 weeks. Vertex presentations occurred in 59.4% of the ...

In summary, the partogram has been subject to change from the time it was conceived. What is important is that it should be used properly, keeping in mind the purpose of its components and their interpretation in context. ...