Abstract
Purpose
Recently, although most babies are delivered at hospitals, there is a shortage of obstetric doctors, especially in rural areas in Japan. Our purpose was to find themes and problems of present midwives by reviewing the history of midwifery education in Shimane Prefecture. We were inspired by the fact that Shimane Prefecture has 5 monuments commemorating 5 midwives dating back to 1918, an indication of the contribution of midwives in the past.
Methods
The initiation and transition of midwifery education in Shimane were investigated using reference literature, as well as interviewing related institutions and individuals between June 2003 and January 2006. Informed consent was obtained from each person and the findings were listed sequentially.
Results
We found that midwifery education in Shimane started in 1891, as the Matsue Nongovernmental Training School for Midwives. Though the name of the school was changed several times, it remained open until 1953. The school was discontinued until 1982, then restarted and continues as of today. However, the number of midwives remains insufficient.
Conclusion
Although situations of pregnant women and the role of midwives have been changing in accordance with the generations, midwives should be aware of the importance of their specialty to assist each pregnant woman for secured delivery, as well as collaborations with obstetricians and other midwives, while advocating a sufficient number of midwives to meet the present-day needs.
