As early as about the turn of the century the causes for the discharge of the meconium under labour were studied and the attempt was made to record alterations of the cardiac sound under the influence of labour pain as well as the behaviour of the fetal heart by means of the electrocardiogram. In the development of obstetrics certain stages can be observed which in the past few decades entailed a great many changes, such as changing from delivery at home to delivery at hospital, parasitological clarification of intrauterine infections and the revelation of the pathogenesis of the Mhn. Studies of the physiology of intrauterine respiration, direct measurements of the oxygene pressure in the fetal blood represent the base for the future development of perinatal medicine. An essential improvement of the fetal supervision has come about ever since amnioscopy, cardiotocography, supersonic diagnostics, hormono- and enzyme analyses were introduced. Problems of organization and the future tasks of perinatal medicine are shown on the basis of maternal mortality at district level and perinatal mortality of the hospital.