Benoîte Cadeau-Fessel and the birth of midwifery in nineteenth-century Peru
The first maternity hospital in Latin America was founded in Lima in 1826 largely thanks to the efforts of a French midwife, Benoîte Cadeau-Fessel, who arrived in Peru with her husband after having trained at the maternity clinic of Port-Royal. This dynamic and enterprising woman trained Peruvian wo...
Enregistré dans:
| Udgivet i: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/cliowgh, |
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| Format: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Sprog: | Anglais |
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Clio
2018
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| Online adgang: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
| Summary: | The first maternity hospital in Latin America was founded in Lima in 1826 largely thanks to the efforts of a French midwife, Benoîte Cadeau-Fessel, who arrived in Peru with her husband after having trained at the maternity clinic of Port-Royal. This dynamic and enterprising woman trained Peruvian women students in the theory and practice of obstetrics and organized midwifery as a profession. The women she trained quickly positioned themselves as specialists in obstetrics, more competent than traditional birth attendants and doctors. The midwives trained at the Maternity of Lima eventually gained social recognition, thanks to Fessel’s professional and scientific instruction, which allowed them to position themselves as experts on childbirth. |
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