Jimena Perezblas-Pérez, Departamento de Historia y Filosofía de la Medicina, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
Martha E. Rodríguez-Pérez, Departamento de Historia y Filosofía de la Medicina, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
Background: As a health specialist, the midwife has existed since ancient times. In Mexico, she has played different roles, with continuities and ruptures depending on the era and location, whether urban or rural. Objective: To analyze the situation of the midwife in Mexico, both the traditional and the professional or certified midwife in the 20th and 21st centuries, based on the state recognition that has been granted to them. Materials and methods: Within the framework of the social history of science, a bibliographical study was conducted with a historical perspective, largely based on regulatory documents (official journals, regulations, programs) consulted in various repositories. Results: Mexico has had midwives in different categories: traditional, shaped by their experience, emerging from the day-to-day needs of the community they inhabit and valued by the State since the 1930s to fill gaps in rural public care; and professional, initiated in an academic setting, within an educational institution in 1833, organized by physicians. It began the new century working alongside nurses and surgeons until 1967, when it was practically erased as such, replaced by obstetricians and gynecologists. In recent years, the technical midwifery was established, following the initiative of a civil association in 2011. Recently, institutional medical services have been working to recover and integrate midwives into the National Health System. Conclusions: Over time, state policies have considered midwives, both traditional and institutionalized, as part of the health care community. However, their evolution is characterized by ruptures and tensions between the constant issuance of regulations and practices that define their actions and work spaces, highlighting the need for intercultural dialogue and integration.
Keywords: Midwife. National Health System. Legislation.