Outcomes of planned home births versus planned hospital births after regulation of midwifery in British Columbia -- Janssen et al. 166 (3): 315 -- Canadian Medical Association Journal ›
Background: The choice to give birth at home with a regulated midwife in attendance became available to expectant women in British Columbia in 1998. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety of home birth by comparing perinatal outcomes for planned home births attended by regulated midwives with those for planned hospital births.
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Results: Women who gave birth at home attended by a midwife had fewer procedures during labour compared with women who gavebirth in hospital attended by a physician. […] Rates of perinatal mortality, 5-minute Apgar scores, meconium aspiration syndrome or need for transfer to a different hospital for specialized newborn care were very similar for the home birth group andfor births in hospital attended by a physician.
Interpretation: There was no increased maternal or neonatal risk associated with planned home birth under the care of a regulated midwife. The rates of some adverse outcomes were too low for us to draw statistical comparisons, and ongoing evaluation of home birth is warranted.
Abstract and full text pdf can be found at Canadian Medical Association
