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2012/11: Should Australian mothers be discouraged from home births?





Introduction to the media issue

Video clip at right:
June 28, 2012 ABC News reported on a New South Wales coroner’s finding that a lack of professional medical care contributed to the death of the newborn baby of a prominent home birth advocate. If you cannot see this clip, it will be because video is blocked by your network. To view the clip, access from home or from a public library, or from another network which allows viewing of video clips.

What they said...
'Planned home birth for low risk women ... using certified professional midwives was associated with lower rates of medical intervention but similar ... neonatal mortality to that of low risk hospital births....'
Johnson and Daviss 2005 study of 5,000 United States and Canadian women delivered at home by a midwife

'The AMA does not support home birth because of the safety concerns for mother and baby'
Dr Andrew Pesce, the president of the Australian Medical Association (AMA)

The issue at a glance
On June 5, 2012, the South Australian Deputy State Coroner, Anthony Schapel, handed down his findings into the deaths of three babies following complicated homebirths. He recommended all midwives should be registered and those who are not, but continue to perform midwifery duties, should face criminal sanction.
Mr Schapel also asked South Australian Health Minister John Hill to consider making health workers duty-bound to report intended homebirths that have an 'enhanced risk' of complication, including the birth of twins or breech births, to the Health Department. A senior obstetrician would then counsel the parents about the associated risks.
The Australian Medical Association, which is opposed to home birth, has welcomed the recommendations as have others who are concerned about the risks that home birthing cam pose to the health of child and mother.
Supporters of home birth have argued that the South Australian coroner's recommendations will either deny pregnant women the freedom of choice they should be able to exercise, or drive home birth underground where it is more dangerous because detached from any sort of medical support system.