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

Smaller but real tailwinds could accrue to insurers with maternal and pediatric products, hospital operators with obstetrics and fertility exposure, preschool and education providers, and travel companies if family-friendly tourism gets sustained policy support.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

The reason was straightforward: These medications were and are used in obstetrics and gynecology for other reasons.

From Slate • Feb. 21, 2026

“There’s a finite amount of blood,” said Dr. Sarah Prager, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Washington.

From Salon • Jul. 2, 2025

In December last year, BBC Scotland revealed that 17 concerns about safety in the obstetrics triage and assessment unit at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary were upheld or partially upheld in the whistleblowing report.

From BBC • May 1, 2025

Farmer was trained as an internist and ID specialist, but he had studied other fields on his own, including obstetrics and gynecology, because the needs of his patients demanded it.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French