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Laura Cao-Romero is the founder and current director of Ticime in Mexico. This is a midwifery association dedicated to the documentation, networking and promotion of midwifery throughout Mexico, is part of the National Safe Motherhood Committee, and was established six years ago. Laura lobbies courageously for midwifery as a profession in Mexico, a country where midwifery schools have not functioned for the past 40 years. There is no nationally recognised midwifery education. Women can do a course in nursing, followed by obstetric nursing in their fourth year. But they are not midwives, cannot take responsibility, and have to take orders from doctors. The Ticime Birth Centre was set up in 2000, the first in the country to be run by midwives. It is staffed by midwives approved by the Health Ministry of MORELOS State. Chiapas is the poorest state in the country. Caesarean section rates in private hospitals are 60% to 70%, although they can be as high as 90% . In public hospitals rates range from 28% to 45%, with the lowest rates in hospitals in the poorest areas. Approximately 25% of births in Mexico are at home. Traditional midwives base their practice on ancient Mayan traditions and attend women in their own, or in the woman's home. In poorer states these midwives attend close on 100% of births. Eleven
years ago 'Posadas de Nacimiento' (Birth Inns or Birthing
Homes) was established by the National Ministry of Health
for traditional midwives. Ticime Birth Centre is a pilot
program because:
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| If you would like to find
out more go to www.parteras.org You can contact Laura at lauracao@compuserve.com |
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Laura Cao-Romero
