Birth
Dynamics Childbirth Article Archive
Interesting Facts on the
Safety of Homebirth
These following citations are from various sources showing
their research on the safety of midwife care and home birth.
"Most indicators suggest that home delivery does not
pose a higher risk than hospital delivery and that it reduces
some of the additional risks of interventions." (BMJ,
Nov.1996)
"Every study that has compared midwives and obstetricians
has found better outcomes for midwives for same-risk patients.
In some studies, midwives actually served higher risk populations
than the physicians and still obtained lower mortalities
and morbidities. The superiority and safety of midwifery
for most women no longer needs to be proven. It has been
well established." (Madrona, Lewis & Morgaine,
The Future of Midwifery in the United States, NAPSAC News,
Fall-Winter, 1993, p.30)
"In the U.S. the national infant mortality rate was
8.9 deaths per 1,000 live births [in 1991]. The worst state
was Delaware at 11.8, with the District of Columbia even
worse at 21.0. The best state was Vermont, with only 5.8.
Vermont also has one of the highest rates of home birth
in the country as well as a larger portion of midwife-attended
births than most states. " (Stewart, David, International
Infant Mortality Rates--U.S. in 22nd Place, NAPSAC News,
Fall- Winter, 1993, p.36)
"The international standing of the U.S. [in terms
of infant mortality rates] did not really begin to fall
until the mid-1950s. This correlates perfectly with the
founding of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist
(ACOG) in 1951. ACOG is a trade union representing the financial
and professional interests of obstetricians who has sought
to secure a monopoly in pregnancy and childbirth services.
Prior to ACOG, the U.S. always ranked in 10th place or better.
Since the mid-1950s the U.S. has consistently ranked below
12th place and hasn't been above 16th place since 1975.
The relative standing of the U.S. continues to decline even
to the present." (Stewart, David, International Infant
Mortality Rates--U.S. in 22nd Place, NAPSAC News, Fall-Winter,
1993, p.38)
The Texas Department of Health's own statistics show that
midwives in Texas have a lower infant mortality rate than
physicians. (Texas Lay midwifery Program, Six Year Report,
1983- 1989, Berstein & Bryant, Appendix Vlllf, Texas
Department of Health, I 100 West 49th St., Austin, TX 78756-3199.)
In the state of Oregon from 1975-1979, there were approximately
3-4 neonatal
deaths per 1000 births in homebirths attended by midwives,
as opposed to approximately 9-10 deaths per 1000 births
for all residents. The same figure indicates approximately
5 infant deaths per 1000 births in homebirths attended by
midwives, as opposed to approximately 12 deaths per 1000
births for all residents. (Research Issues in the Assessment
of Birth Settings, Institute of Medicine, National Academy
Press, Washington, 1982, p. 175)
"In The five European countries with the lowest infant
mortality rates, midwives preside at more than 70 percent
of all births. More than half of all Dutch babies are born
at home with midwives in attendance, and Holland's maternal
and infant mortality rates are far lower than in the United
States..." ("Midwives Still Hassled by Medical
Establishment," Caroline Hall Otis, Utne Reader, Nov./Dec.
1990, pp. 32-34)
"Of the 3,189 midwife-assisted deliveries studied,
episiotomies were done on 5 percent of the women, the Caesarean
section rate varied from 2.2 percent to 8.1 percent, and
perinatal mortality (the number of babies who die during
or shortly after birth) averaged 5.2 per 1,000. Compare
these numbers to those for New Mexico obstetricians and
physicians during the same period: nearly routine use of
episiotomies in many hospitals, a Caesarean rate that varied
from 15 percent to 25 percent,and a perinatal mortality
rate of 11.3 per 1,000. Looking at these numbers, Rebecca
Watson, the maternal-health program manager at the New Mexico
Department of Health commented, 'I sometimes wonder why
[we bother compiling statistics on midwives], since their
statistics are so much better than everyone else's. "
(Sharon Bloyd- Peshkin, Midwifery: Off to a Good Start,
p. 69, Vegetarian Times, December 1992)
Records kept from 1969-73 in England and Wales indicate
still birth rates of 4.5 per 1000 births for home deliveries
as opposed to 14.8 per 1000 births for hospital deliveries.
(The place of Birth, Sheila Kitzinger & John Davis,
eds., 1978
Oxford University Press, pp. 62-63)
"Mothering Magazine has calculated that using midwifery
care for 75% of the births in the U.S. would save an estimated
$8.5 billion per year." (Madrona, Lewis & Morgaine,
The Future of Midwifery in the United States, NAPSAC News,
Fall-Winter, 1993, p. 15 November 23, 1996 issue of the
British Medical Journal.)
"Our research has shown that, for women with low risk
pregnancies in the Netherlands, choosing to give birth at
home is a safe choice with an outcome that is at least as
good as that of planned hospital birth." (Ibid. p.13)
"During delivery, the home birth group needed significantly
less medication and fewer interventions whereas no differences
were found in durations of labour, occurrence of severe
perineal lesions, and maternal blood loss." ("Home
Versus Hospital Deliveries: Follow Up Study of Matched Pairs
for Procedures and Outcome", p. 1)
"The mean Apgar score, five and 10 minute, babies
in the planned home delivery group had higher scores.[over
planned hospital delivery]" (Ibid. p. 8)
"There was no evidence that the more liberal use of
episiotomy in hospitals prevented severe perineal lesions."
(Ibid. p. 9)
"The lower rate of interventions in home births meant
a lower risk of subsequent complications for the mother."
(Ibid.)