Low-risk home births 'safe as hospital births'

Wed April 15th, 2009

By Jane Collingwood
Women who choose to give birth at home do not seem to face increased risks, according to the findings of a major study revealed today.

A team of researchers led by Professor Simone Buitendijk of the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research in Leiden, explains that previous studies have been limited by their small sample sizes.

They examined figures on more than half a million women who gave birth between January 2000 and December 2006. Findings show that the women who planned to give birth at home tended to be older, better off, and to have had children previously.

There was no significant difference in the perinatal mortality rate between women who gave birth at home with those who had a planned hospital birth. Babies from both groups were equally likely to die or be admitted into a neonatal intensive care unit (seven per 1,000).

Details appear in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Professor Buitendijk said: "Since 1993, the official policy in the UK has been to give women more choice in their place of birth. In the Netherlands, about 30 per cent of women give birth at home. So far, it has been unclear whether giving birth at home is safe.

"We conclude that women can safely choose where they want to give birth, provided the maternity care system is well equipped for homebirths."

Commenting on the findings, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists say they "support home births in cases of low-risk pregnancies provided the appropriate infrastructures and resources are present".

But they add: "Women need to be counselled on the unexpected emergencies which can arise during labour and can only be managed in hospital."

de Jonge, A. et al. Perinatal mortality and morbidity in a nationwide cohort of 529 688 low-risk planned home and hospital births. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Vol. 116, April 2009, pp. 1-8.

Tags: UK News | Childbirth and Pregnancy | Nursing & Midwifery | Women’s Health & Gynaecology | Europe

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