Home Births Cut Hospital Revenues
In the United States, women choosing home births over hospital births have increased by about 5% in 2005 from the year before. These statistics, from the National Vital Statistics Report published in March, are often released on a delay like this due to the time required for data collection and analysis.
Many doctors warn against home births, citing many dangerous possibilities.
The British medical journal, The Lancet, published a recent editorial stating, “Women have the right to choose how and where to give birth, but they do not have the right to put their baby at risk. There are competing interests that need to be weighed carefully.”
Home births do have some benefits over hospital births, including a shorter recovery time and fewer lacerations, The Lancet editorial strongly warned that the complications that could arise, especially from high risk pregnancies, may outweigh the benefits.
The National Vital Statistics Report states that in 2005 and 2006 about 38,500 of the 4.3 million live U.S. births were home births.
People who support home births express that it’s more natural as opposed to being treated like some kind of disorder in the hospital. They also express concern over Caesarean sections, labor induction and hospital-borne infections.
Erin Riley, a mother who delivered at home, explains that she “wanted more of a personal type of care.” She goes on to say, “I didn’t want nurses coming in and out of the slots online room, chaos and being told to lay down on the bed to be strapped to monitors. It”s just not natural. Some women in other cultures, they are working in fields, they squat and have their child and move on with life.”
The American Medical Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists don’t support home births, stating that birthing centers and hospitals are “the safest setting for labor, delivery and the immediate postpartum period.”
Even when it comes to low-risk pregnancies, medical emergencies can arise. And although these incidents are rare, not being in an environment suited to handle emergencies can lead to catastrophic events.
Truly a polarizing issue, home birthing rates continue to rise. Holly Powell Kennedy, the president of the American College of Nurse-Midwives explain, “Our belief is that the best care of a woman is to individualize her care to what she needs — what works best for her, based on her health, past history, emotional and psychological concerns and who she wants around her.”
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Posted by Brett Nordin
on Oct 30 2010. Filed under Health.
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