Technology, Science, and Obstetric Practice: The Origins and Transformation of Cephalopelvimetry

The process of technological change in obstetrics must be understood as contingent on the exigencies of the professional project, rather than in terms simply of improvement or dehumanization of care. Transformation in the procedures by which the female pelvis and the fetal head have been measured il...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science, technology, & human values technology, & human values, 1992-04, Vol.17 (2), p.154-179
Main Authors: Hiddinga, Anja, Blume, Stuart S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biomedical technology
Childbirth
Fetus
Medical practice
Medical technology
Midwifery
Obstetrics
Pelvimetry
Pelvis
Pregnancy
Ultrasonography
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Summary:The process of technological change in obstetrics must be understood as contingent on the exigencies of the professional project, rather than in terms simply of improvement or dehumanization of care. Transformation in the procedures by which the female pelvis and the fetal head have been measured illustrate this point. The development of new measurement techniques was profoundly influenced by the shifting locus of obstetric care and by changing professional concerns, including the initial demarcation of a professional practice and subsequent debates about preferred modes of intervention.
ISSN:0162-2439
1552-8251
DOI:10.1177/016224399201700202