RCM: Home births are safe
Wednesday, 02 Apr 2008 13:35
Home births are safe as long as the proper support and resources are in place for the mother, the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has said.
Its comments follow a report published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, which raised concerns about the risks to babies if their mother chooses a home birth but has to be transferred to hospital.
The study found that the chance of the baby dying is significantly higher if the mother required a transfer of care.
RCM general secretary Dame Karlene Davis described the research as welcome but "far from conclusive".
"Women planning a home birth should not be worried, because with the proper support and resources in place a home birth is safe," she said.
"The nature of transfer means that complications are anticipated or evident. This principle applies irrespective of place of birth, whether this is at home, in a birth centre or in hospital. Much more research needs to be done in the area of outcomes following transfer."
Dame Karlene added: "What is needed to make home birth even safer are better staffing and resources, such as quick access to ambulance transfers for the very small number of women who develop complications.
"We encourage women to discuss all the birth options with their midwife to make the decision that best suits them. Wherever women choose to give birth, they should be offered a safe and satisfying birth experience, and midwives are working hard to improve the high level of care they already give."
