Are Planned Home Births Safe When Registered Midwives are Attending?

According to research completed by the Canadian Medical Association Journal, women who give birth at home with a registered midwife are at no increased risk for fetal death when compared to a hospital delivery.

The study involved more than 12,000 women. Of those women 2,889 gave birth at home with a registered midwife, 4,752 delivered in the hospital with the same group of midwives and 5,331 gave birth in the hospital with an attending physician. The at home births were not only just as safe as the hospital births, but resulted in fewer medical interactions than their hospital counterparts.

Across the globe, the safety of an at home birth is being heavily debated. Australia, The United States of America and New Zealand are in opposition of at home births. The United Kingdom tends to support this birthing alternative.

"Women planning birth at home experienced reduced risk for all obstetric interventions measured, and similar or reduced risk for adverse maternal outcomes," offers Dr. Patricia Janssen from the University of British Columbia.

It should be noted that while infants born during at home births may be less likely to suffer from fetal death, the admissions to the hospitals for these infants can be higher than average. In addition, women delivering at home are usually low risk, making complications much less likely than women who are high risk and deliver in the hospital.

Source: Canadian Medical Association 2009