[Obstetrics in crisis].

Obstetrical practice in France is in a crisis with several components. The number of obstetricians is in sharp reduction, a litigation crisis is obvious, an important number of for profit maternity units disappeared since five years for financial reasons. To rebuild an adapted system, one should be aware of the wills of obstetricians in training about the minimal number of members of any obstetrical team to share the on call duty (7 to 8). It will be difficult to resolve the litigation crisis, some tools are available such as quality audits systems among professionals (quality circles), and those professional groups could induce a renewed relationship with the insurers trough group contracts.