Professional Midwifery Education in Bulgaria at the Turn of Xx Century: A Historical Perspective

The goal of this article is to recount the birth and development of midwifery and maternal care education in Bulgaria after the Bulgarian Liberation at the end of XIX and the beginning of the XX century. The researchers set the following tasks: 1) to present the main reasons for the emergence of professional midwifery education in post-Liberation Bulgaria; 2) to show the place and role of the first professionally trained midwives in Bulgaria; 3) to outline the seminal work of notable personalities for the development of professional midwifery care. Historical method was used, secondary historical sources, documents and scientific papers were reviewed. Conclusions: Professional midwifery education helped the introduction and spread of modern Obstetrics/Gynecology medicine, which lead to decrease in maternal and infant mortality and slowly improved quality of life for Bulgarian women and children. Bulgarian nationals educated abroad brought to the country the scientific foundation and best practices in maternal health care.