Ley 2244 de 2022: dignified, respected and humanised pregnancy, birth and postpartum
- Law
Ley 2244 de 2022 lists the rights of women in pregnancy, labour, birth, postpartum and pregnancy loss, and the rights of the newborn, in Colombia.
What it is
Ley 2244 de 2022, known as the «Ley de Parto Digno, Respetado y Humanizado», recognises and guarantees the rights of women during pregnancy, labour, birth, postpartum and gestational and perinatal grief, and the rights of newborns. It applies across the country with a differential approach. It names concrete practices (companion, birth plan, free movement, pain relief, skin-to-skin contact) and makes failure to comply a fault under the procedures of the Superintendencia de Salud. In 2026 the Constitutional Court ruled that its guarantees also cover all pregnant people.
Key articles
- Art. 1: the purpose is to recognise and guarantee the rights of women in pregnancy, labour, birth, postpartum and gestational and perinatal grief, and the rights of newborns.
- Art. 3: defines humanised caesarean, birth plan, gestational and perinatal grief, postpartum and puerperium (about 35 to 40 days after birth).
- Art. 4: lists 28 rights, among them respectful treatment without discrimination, clear information, a preparation course, psychosocial support, breastfeeding support, a humanised caesarean, information on vaginal birth after caesarean, care in grief away from other pregnant women, and receiving the placenta if she asks.
- Art. 4, no. 21: no procedure for research or teaching without free, prior, express and written informed consent.
- Art. 5: the woman's duties, including written informed dissent and respectful communication with health staff.
- Art. 7: newborn rights, including civil registration and health insurance, skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding, timely cord clamping and contact with the father if the woman authorises it.
- Art. 9: health system actors must train their staff and apply the Ministry's care guides.
- Art. 12: failure to comply is a fault under Superintendencia de Salud procedures, without prejudice to civil, ethical or criminal liability. Art. 13: in force from publication.
What it covers
- Women's rights from pregnancy to postpartum and in pregnancy loss.
- Women's duties, including informed dissent.
- Newborn rights.
- Duties of the State and of health system actors, cultural pluralism, training of traditional midwives and sanctions.
In nursing practice
- Ask about and record the birth plan, and explain any part that cannot be followed and why.
- Invite the companion in and do not charge for it; if she has none, offer a trained person for emotional support.
- Offer free movement, upright positions, liquids and pain relief, and let her push with her own urge, when her and the baby's health allow it.
- Keep mother and baby together and skin to skin unless one of them needs special care, and explain why when they must be separated.
- If she declines a procedure, record the written dissent; if an intervention is for teaching or research, obtain written consent first.
- In a pregnancy loss, offer care away from other pregnant women and psychosocial support for her and the family.
Status and official text
- Texto oficial verificado el 2026-11-13 en secretariasenado.gov.co (official text checked on 2026-11-13 at secretariasenado.gov.co).
- Constitutional Court ruling C-252 de 2026 (12 August 2026) declared the words «mujer» and «mujeres» conditionally constitutional: the law also applies to all pregnant people.
- The Senate's legal database lists no other law that modifies it.
- In force since its publication in the Diario Oficial No. 52.092 of 11 July 2022.
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
Can a fee be charged for the woman's companion during labour under Ley 2244 de 2022?
No. Art. 4, no. 16 says no fee may be charged for this right.
From which week of pregnancy may prenatal visits be held where the birth will take place?
From week 32 (Art. 4, no. 11).
How does a woman record that she refuses a recommended procedure under this law?
With a written informed dissent document (Art. 5, no. 2).
What did ruling C-252 de 2026 decide about this law?
That its guarantees for «mujer» and «mujeres» also apply to all pregnant people.
Elsewhere in DurgiPedia
Connections
Educational content for students; it does not replace your institution's protocols, supervised clinical training or a prescriber's order. Dose-calculation examples use made-up numbers: they are educational, not a clinical order.
Sources: Ley 2244 de 2022, por medio de la cual se reconocen los derechos de la mujer en embarazo, trabajo de parto, parto y posparto (Ley de parto digno, respetado y humanizado) (Secretaría General del Senado de la República de Colombia, 2022); Resolución 3280 de 2018: lineamientos técnicos y operativos de la Ruta de Promoción y Mantenimiento de la Salud y de la Ruta Materno Perinatal (Ministerio de Salud y Protección Social de Colombia, 2018).
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.