Resumo

ALARCON-NIVIA, Miguel Ángel; SEPULVEDA-AGUDELO, Janer  e  ALARCON-AMAYA, Iván Camilo. Midwives, part of the human race’s cultural heritage. Rev Colomb Obstet Ginecol [online]. 2011, vol.62, n.2, pp.188-195. ISSN 0034-7434.

Objective: looking at the etymological origin of the term “midwife”. Describing midwives who have made contributions to obstetrics throughout history. Reflecting on midwives’ current performance regarding public health in different parts of the world. Materials and methods: a description of the most famous midwives or those who have made contributions to tocology or public health throughout the centuries is presented. The role of midwives today related to their work in different parts of the world is described. Conclusion: midwives continue playing an important role in maternal health in several countries around the world, given that they are widely accepted in communities. Their performance can be enhanced by means training in how to detect early alterations during pregnancy and in the delivery and using good clinical practices to prevent infection. However, this job is practically in decline in other countries; it has become reduced to marginal areas and is supplanted by healthcare organizations.

Palavras-chave : birth; midwife; rural midwife; nurse; obstetrician.

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