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The specialty of medicine concerned with the care of women during pregnancy, parturition, and the puerperium. SYN: tocology. [L. obstetrix, a midwife, fr. ob-sto, to stand before, denoting the position formerly taken by the midwife]
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ob·stet·rics əb-'ste-triks, äb- n pl but sing or pl in constr a branch of medical science that deals with birth and with its antecedents and sequelae
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n.
the branch of medical science concerned with the care of women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the period of about six weeks following the birth, when the reproductive organs are recovering. Compare gynaecology.
• obstetrical adj.
• obstetrician n.
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ob·stet·rics (ob-stetґriks) [L. obstetrix midwife] the branch of surgery that deals with the management of pregnancy, labor, and the puerperium. obstetric, obstetrical adjMedical dictionary. 2011.