[The construction of care of the traditional midwives: an edificant knowledge/practice]

This article presents a research carried through in Distrito Federal and surroundings with the objective to identify the social representations of the traditional midwives regarding the care. It's based on the starting point that the epistemological basis of the production about the care is anchored in scientific knowledge and also in different kinds of knowledge and practices originated from the knowledge of the common sense, amongst which it is the work of the traditional midwives. Considering the collected data in relation to the characteristics of the practice, the level of involvement with the practice, the way of construction of knowledge and practice and the possibilities of jointing practice with other kinds of knowledge, the aim was to identify significant aspects of the thematic care according to traditional midwives' vision.