There has been mention of forceps in Sanskrit (1500 BC), Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and Persian writings and pictures, but thought to be used for the extraction of dead fetus. Around 1600 AD, Peter Chamberlen (England) used forceps on live fetus (Fig. 30.1). Levert (1747) introduced the pelvic curve. Sir James young Simpson (1845) developed a forceps appropriately fitting both cephalic and pelvic curvatures. James Haig Ferguson (1862–1934) modified Simpson’s forceps by shortening the handle and placing slots to allow the application of traction tapes increasing fetal head flexion. Joseph DeLee (1920) advocated prophylactic forceps delivery. Christian Kielland (1915) invented rotational forceps. William Smellie (1975) was the first one to describe “cephalic application” rather than previously performed “pelvic application.” He also designed English lock. Arthur Wrigley (1902–1983) invented Wrigley’s forceps useful for outlet forceps application. KN Das modified application of forceps at midcavity level (Fig. 30.2). Moolgaonkar (1962) developed his forceps, which is an improvement upon the Kjelland instrument (Fig. 30.3). He devised this specifically for narrower pelves of Indian women, though later this instrument has gained popularity in Britain also. The use of instrumental delivery is mostly to reduce the duration of the second stage of labor, but in modern practice, with the advent of fetal surveillance systems, the length of the second stage is not an absolute indication. Studies suggest that morbidity increases significantly only after 3–4 h in the second stage [1]. Instrumental deliveries are increased when epidural analgesia is used due to lack of Ferguson’s reflex [2].

The obstetric forceps is a unique instrument. A simple and honest implement, compared to many of man’s inventions. Its history is nevertheless complicated with confusion and irony and its inventions shrouded in secrecy. It probably has saved more lives than any instrument ever devised and yet it did not appear until countless generations of men struggled into the world without it, or failed to arrive. A real and solid thing, easily fabricated, it is yet capable of such subtle variations that its evolution has never stopped. It is designed specifically to rescue life, and yet it descended from an instrument of death! [3]

Forceps are composed of two blades, each one having four parts: