Section 2507.

(a) The license to practice midwifery authorizes the holder, under the supervision of a licensed physician and surgeon, to attend cases of normal childbirth and to provide prenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum care, including family-planning care, for the mother, and immediate care for the newborn.

(b) As used in this article, the practice of midwifery constitutes the furthering or undertaking by any licensed midwife, under the supervision of a licensed physician and surgeon who has current practice or training in obstetrics, to assist a woman in childbirth so long as progress meets criteria accepted as normal. All complications shall be referred to a physician and surgeon immediately. The practice of midwifery does not include the assisting of childbirth by any artificial, forcible, or mechanical means, nor the performance of any version.

(c) As used in this article, "supervision" shall not be construed to require the physical presence of the supervising physician and surgeon.

(d) The ratio of licensed midwives to supervising physicians and surgeons shall not be greater than four individual licensed midwives to one individual supervising physician and surgeon.

(e) A midwife is not authorized to practice medicine and surgery by this article.

(f) The board shall, not later than July 1, 2003, adopt in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code), regulations defining the appropriate standard of care and level of supervision required for the practice of midwifery.

(Amended by Stats. 2002, Ch. 1085, Sec. 26. Effective January 1, 2003.)