Montevideo, 27 September 2021, CLAP/PAHO- September 26, 2021 marked the 100th birth anniversary of Dr. Roberto Caldeyro Barcia, first Director of the Latin American Center for Perinatology (CLAP), an occasion for which the Center pays tribute to this Uruguayan scientific pioneer.
The term perinatology was coined by Dr. Caldeyro Barcia, whose findings have been crucial for the development of this discipline. Research on fetal distress, the triple descending gradient, Montevideo Units or humanized delivery, developed by Caldeyro Barcia and his team, allowed the advancement of medicine in childbirth and newborn care with remarkable contributions to public health.
It is within this framework that CLAP organized the webinar "The Perinatology of Tomorrow: 100th anniversary of Dr. Roberto Caldeyro Barcia´s birth" in which a review of the main milestones of the discipline was made and the issues that currently concern perinatology and its future.
Dr. Hernán Montenegro, PAHO’s Representative in Uruguay, and Dr. Andrés de Francisco, Director of the Department of Family, Health Promotion and Life Course, FPL/PAHO, were in charge of the welcoming and opening remarks. Dr. Suzanne Serruya, Director of CLAP/WR-PAHO, acted as moderator and pointed out some milestones in perinatology within the framework of the Center's work.
There were two panelists who addressed two different topics. The first panelist was Dr. Anibal Faúndes, Emeritus Professor of the State University of Campinas - Unicamp, Senior Researcher at Cemicamp - Center for Research in Reproductive Health of Campinas, Brazil, who referred to Caldeyro Barcia´s figure and his influence in the region. The second panelist was Dr. Pablo Durán, PAHO Regional Advisor on Perinatal Health, who made in his presentation a projection on the issues that currently occupy and will continue to occupy this discipline.
Finally, at the closing ceremony, Ing. Agr. Martín Caldeyro, one of the honoree's sons, said a few words in memory of his father.
You can watch the recording of the meeting here:
