Brief History of Intrapartum Ultrasonography

The importance of the pelvis, as a relevant factor in the birth process, dates back to the beginning of the eighteenth century. In 1701, the Dutch obstetrician and orthopedic Hendrik van Deventer (Fig. 2.1) published a handbook for midwives, in which he described with precision the pelvis. He distinguished between three types of pelvis responsible for difficult births: too wide, too small, and too narrow [1].