Women who choose to give birth at home are not given full information about all the risks, it was claimed today.
Most assessments of the risks involve the chance of losing the baby – but few look at the risk of the child suffering a long-term disability, according to Australian obstetrician and academic Lachlan de Crespigny.
But his claims were rejected by British midwives, who said these risks were assessed two years ago.
The claim is set out in the Journal of Medical Ethics.
Writing with ethicist Professor Julian Savulescu, of Oxford University, UK, he says: “When a baby is injured during childbirth, the full extent of the harm is often not obvious until years later.
“Actions taken today that cause harm in the future are as wrong as if that harm were realised today.”
They add: "Labour and delivery is a time of high risk, and home-birth may expose the future child to unreasonable risk of potentially life-changing disability for benefits that may be comparatively small."
But Louise Silverton, of the Royal College of Midwives, UK, referred to a study which showed a slight increased risk for a woman having her first baby at home.
She said: “We agree that decisions about where to give birth should be based on the best possible evidence. The Birthplace Study of 2011 showed that planned out of hospital births were, generally, as safe for the baby as those in hospital for low-risk women having their second or subsequent baby.
"This major study took into account early indicators of the potential risks of future disabilities to the baby."
She added: "Continuity of care is key to ensuring good outcomes for both mother and baby, hence our call for more midwives to ensure that this happens.”
Homebirth and the future child Journal of Medical Ethics 23 January 2014; doi:10.1136/medethics-2012-101258 [abstract]
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