Home births: A growing phenomenon with potential risks

Data de publicació: 01/10/2020

Autors de IIS La Fe

• María Cernada Badía

  Autor

Autors aliens a IIS La Fe

• Sanchez-Redondo, MD
• Boix, H
• Fernandez, MGE
• Gonzalez-Pacheco, N
• Martin, A
• Perez-Munuzuri, A
• Couce, ML

Grups d'Investigació

• Perinatología

  

  Leader

  Máximo Vento Torres

Abstract

Home birth is a controversial issue that raises safety concerns for paediatricians and obstetricians. Hospital birth was the cornerstone to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality. This reduction in mortality has resulted in considering pregnancy and childbirth as a safe procedure, which, together with a greater social awareness of the need for the humanisation of these processes, have led to an increase in the demand for home birth. Studies from countries such as Australia, the Netherlands, and United Kingdom show that home birth can provide advantages to the mother and the newborn. It needs to be provided with sufficient material means, and should be attended by trained and accredited professionals, and needs to be perfectly coordinated with the hospital obstetrics and neonatology units, in order to guarantee its safety. Therefore, in our environment, there are no safety data or sufficient scientific evidence to support home births at present. (C) 2020 Asociacion Espanola de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U.

Keywords

• Humanisation; Perinatal mortality; Low risk birth delivery; Newborn; Safety