Vaginal delivery after caesarean delivery in the days of the Talmud (2nd century BCE -6th century CE).

Abstract Caesarean delivery was practised for ages, almost always as a postmortem procedure. It is referred to in the myths and folklore of many ancient societies, for some of the infants so delivered survived, although their mothers did not. A fascinating medical situation of vaginal birth after caesarean delivery that may have occurred in the days of the Talmud is described in Mishna, Bechoroth, chapter 2, page 47. Maimonides (1135-1204) suggested that this passage described a vaginal delivery of a second twin during a caesarean section. This paper discusses which of these two possibilities was more likely to occur in the days of the Talmud (roughly 2nd century B.C.E. to 6th century C.E).