The Evolving Role of Midwives as Laborists.

This article examines the history and present state of the midwife as laborist. The role of the midwife and obstetrician laborist/hospitalist is rapidly evolving due to the need to improve patient safety and provide direct care due to reduced resident work hours, as well as practice demands experienced by community providers and other factors. Models under development are customized to meet the needs of different communities and hospitals.

A profile of midwifery in Paraguay.

Objective: The goal of this study was to provide a descriptive profile of midwifery in Paraguay.

Design: The study involved three components: background research from official documents and key informant interviews to complete questionnaires, qualitative interviews with Paraguayan midwives and obstetricians, and participant observation. Data from official documents and questionnaires were tabulated using descriptive statistics.