Row over home birth warning
Thursday July 1st, 2010
British midwives have rejected the findings of research linking home-births to a massively increased risk of baby death.
The international study reports that a baby born at home in a planned delivery is three times as likely to die as one born in hospital.
The
Royal College of Midwives said it doubts whether the findings apply to
the UK
Mervi Jokinen, of the college, said lack of training and equipment often caused problems for home births in many countries.
She said: "Here we have services delivered by midwives who are skilled and experienced at home births and resuscitating newborns. This is perhaps in contrast to many of the other countries this research covers.
"It is not clear by who or how these services are delivered in other countries and whether they are comparable to the UK, so comparing outcomes is not straightforward. The authors of the study refer to lack of appropriate training or equipment perhaps being associated with increased neonatal deaths."
She added: "Other studies of midwifery led care and homebirth in other countries have so far indicated improved outcomes for mothers, and no increase in risk for the baby as long as the appropriate selection of women takes place.
"Also the numbers of homebirths are still very low, even in the UK, making meaningful and concrete conclusions about the results difficult."
The US researchers analysed studies from around the world involving some 340,000 home births and 207,000 hospital deliveries.
The results, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, suggest a three times increase in the death rate of babies born at home.
Researcher Dr Joseph Wax, of the Maine Medical Center, USA, said women who give birth at home enjoy the benefits of fewer complications and less illness after birth. But the absence of specialist equipment seemed to pose risks to the baby.
American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Volume 203, Issue 3
Tags: Childbirth and Pregnancy | North America | Nursing & Midwifery | UK News | Women’s Health & Gynaecology | World Health
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