Midwife's name on birth record

[JOHN08]

How common is it to have a midwife's name appear on the birth record? When I was researching the birth records for my relative, I noticed many of the records that I examined had the same female name after the word "comparso".

If this is a midwife, where would the father's name appear in the birth records.

I have referred to a number of textbooks and cannot find any input concerning this issue.

Thanks for any input.

Regards,

John

[JohnArmellino]

The procedures followed by each Ufficio dello Stato Civile varied from town to town. That being said, usually the father presented the information. However, if the father was not available (i.e., out-of-town, ill, etc,), then a midwife, relative, doctor, etc., might present the info. In such cases, the father's name would ordinarily appear in the body of the record, often right before or after the mother's name.

[Italysearcher]

Unless the child was born to an unmarried woman in which case the father's name would be indicated as padre ignoto or some similar phrase, but in the body of the certificate as John stated.