In 1979, maternal and child health issues were discussed during the annual meeting of the 33 Member States of the European Region of the World Health Organization. During this discussion many countries expressed concern about the services offered for pregnancy, birth and the period following birth. The countries recognized that, as yet, unsolved problems remain which must be examined and they asked the European Regional Office of WHO to mount activities to study and report on these problems surrounding birth and birth care. In response to this request, the maternal and child health unit of the European Regional Office organized a Perinatal Study Group. The Group's 15 members came from 10 countries and spanned 10 professional disciplines: economics, epidemiology, health administration, midwifery, nursing, obstetrics, pediatrics, psychology, sociology, and statistics. For five years the Group conducted surveys, reviewed the literature and brought its own personal and professional experience to discussions of the health services for women and their babies, during pregnancy and birth, and after birth. The entire group met together at least once a year, at which time findings from the previous year's work were presented, followed by lengthy, sometimes heated, open and free discussions.