# What is the name of this procedure? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 20, 2011, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-this-procedure/568265 "2011-01-20T00:13:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NadaHappyCamper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/278dde/32.png) [@NadaHappyCamper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NadaHappyCamper)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-this-procedure/568265/1 "2011-01-20T00:13:30Z")
This question is for the Medical minded readers. There used to be a procedure for birthing where the doctor would extract the infant from the mother using forceps. I believe it was discontinued sometime after 1947. What was the name of this procedure and why was it discontinued? ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-this-procedure/568265/2 "2011-01-20T00:15:39Z")
It’s called Forceps Delivery and has by no means been discontinued, although with vacuum techniques it has sharply declined. What is your source for that belief? The decline is due to the availability of safer methods; the forceps can squash and damage the baby. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-this-procedure/568265/3 "2011-01-20T00:22:37Z")
Bill Cosby during childbirth. “I said, ‘Isn’t that the head?’” He said, ‘Yeah.’ 'I said, ‘Well, go get it!’ He says, ‘It’s stuck!’ I said, ‘Well, get the salad spoons, man!’" 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-this-procedure/568265/4 "2011-01-20T00:30:41Z")
An ex of mine from long ago was delivered via forceps (he would be approx 32 now, we haven’t spoken in years but his birth year was in the late 70s). His head had a funny shape, like it had been squeezed, but it wasn’t extreme. They did enough to make him conventionally unattractive, though (really tall forehead). I would think that nowadays, if that happened again, they would use one of those infant head-reshaping helmets on him. Unfortunate really. His brother was hot as hell and their facial features were very similar. Just that weird-shaped head. ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-this-procedure/568265/5 "2011-01-20T01:07:41Z")
There are many types of forceps, usually named after the doctor that designed them, such as Keiland forceps. Other medical instruments are named after the doc as well, such as Metzenbaum scissors. I’m not aware of any particular forcep being so popularly used that it would become a shorthand name for the delivery, though. ---
**Author:** ![NadaHappyCamper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/278dde/32.png) [@NadaHappyCamper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NadaHappyCamper)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-this-procedure/568265/6 "2011-01-20T01:30:13Z")
My MOM,Bless Her, told me that when I was born it was taking too long and that was the procedure that was used. I also remember being told the reason it was discontinued was because of the possibility of brain damage to the infant, or something to that effect. Its been quite sometime since i was told this. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-this-procedure/568265/7 "2011-01-20T01:44:25Z")
> **[Obstetrical forceps](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forceps_in_childbirth)** > > Obstetrical forceps are a medical instrument used in childbirth. Their use can serve as an alternative to the ventouse (vacuum extraction) method. > Forceps births, like all assisted births, should only be undertaken to help promote the health of the mother or baby. In general, a forceps birth is likely to be safer for both the mother and baby than the alternatives – either a ventouse birth or a caesarean section – although caveats such as operator skill apply. > Advantages of forceps use includ... There ya go! ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-this-procedure/568265/8 "2011-01-20T02:31:30Z")
Our daughter had a forceps delivery (in 1996). She was transiting the birth canal transversely (so that the side of her head, rather than her face, was presenting), so the obstetrician applied the forceps, pushed her back, in turned her, then kept her in position and tugged gently while **kaylasmom** pushed her back out. Had it not worked, they were prepared to go with an emergency C-section. **kaylasmom** and I were both very happy that it worked. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-this-procedure/568265/9 "2011-01-20T02:46:14Z")
I was a forceps baby (1960) and still have a slight indentation on one side of my head to prove it. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-this-procedure/568265/10 "2011-01-20T18:07:52Z")
They told me my now one-year-old granddaughter was delivered with the use of forceps. Now, I wasn’t there, so perhaps that was shorthand for some other device. She had no marks on her that I could see. This was in a local hospital that is especially well-known for perinatal expertise. In her case it was apparently very important that the full delivery be expedited; she was most of the way down the birth canal and there was danger of eclampsia. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-this-procedure/568265/11 "2011-01-20T19:09:03Z")
As has been said, obstetrical forceps are still used nowadays, but far less frequently than before. That’s because techniques that work better in most cases have been developed, in particular the [vacuum extractor](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ventouse). ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-this-procedure/568265/12 "2011-01-20T19:11:56Z")
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