Taken from: http://sympaticomsn.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/
CTVNews/20060407/home_birth_060407

~

A Canadian study that concludes at-home births are as safe and more convenient than hospital births continues to garner worldwide attention.

While giving birth at home is still a controversial idea to medical experts in many countries, the study has become one of the most-read since being published in the influential British Medical Journal nine months ago.

After tracking 5,418 pregnant North American women who planned to give birth at home with certified midwives, the authors concluded these women needed less medical intervention, with far fewer epidurals and episiotomies. Forceps were also used less.

The study compared at-home births to low-risk hospital births and found:

- Five per cent of the women at home needed epidurals, compared to 63 per cent in hospital;

- Two per cent of women needed episiotomies, compared to 33 per cent in hospital; and

- Forceps were needed in one per cent of women, compared to two per cent in hospital.

"It is the most definitive study to date," said co-author Betty-Anne Daviss.

"The risk for home births is very similar to hospital birth, but you have one-tenth to one-half the intervention, so a lot of the caesareans being done, a lot of the forceps being done in hospital, are not really necessary."

About 12 per cent of women who wanted to give birth at home had to be taken to hospital because of complications or pain.

However, the study also found that of the women who tried to give birth at home, five times fewer delivered with caesarean sections in the event of an emergency, compared to hospital rates.

The rate of infant deaths was similar to those delivered in hospital as well, the study concluded.

Carly McEnaney delivered both of her children at home, and would not have it any other way.

"It was comforting, it was relaxing, it was 'there's no place like home,'" she said.

"I would never have a child in hospital."

Midwives like Remi Ejiwunmi, past president of the Association of Ontario Midwives, laud the report.

"We feel comfortable offering that choice because we can actually say that we know that home birth is as safe as hospital birth," Ejiwunmi said.

Some medical authorities, however, don't agree with at-home births because too many things could go wrong.

"The problems could really deteriorate very quickly. The fact the mother is in a home environment, we feel, sometimes interferes with the ability of that woman to get immediate care," said Dr. Michael Helewa, a professor at the University of Manitoba and president of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada.

"Our perception is that we still feel that the hospital environment offers more safe options to the mother."