Forceps are instruments used for grasping during various medical procedures. A forceps has hinged handles that are used to control two blades or tongs.

Obstetrical forceps look similar to a long pair of tongs that look like spoons, and they are used in some deliveries to grasp and guide a baby's head out of the birth canal (vagina). Surgical forceps, which look more like tweezers, come in varying lengths and are used to grasp and hold skin and other tissues during surgery. Forceps are also used to handle sterile dressings.

By	Healthwise Staff
Primary Medical Reviewer	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Primary Medical Reviewer	Sarah Anne Marshall, MD - Family Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer	Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology
Last Revised	January 7, 2010