US home births on the up
Midwives magazine: Issue 2 :: 2012
Home births in the US are now at their highest level since data collection on place of birth began in 1989.
The level rose by 29% from 2004 to 2009, after 14 years of falling.
While the percentage looks like a dramatic increase, the number of home births in the US is still very low.
Over the five years, the percentage of home births rose from 0.56% in 2004, to 0.72% in 2009.
The statistics appears in the January 2012 National Center for Health Statistics Data Brief.
The increase is widespread across the country, but there are large regional variations, believed to be partly due to differences in state laws on midwifery practice and births outside hospital.
The report finds that home births are more common among women aged 35 and over, and among women with several previous children.
Compared to hospital births, there are fewer teenagers or unmarried women choosing home birth.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists does not support planned home births, as it claims ‘hospitals and birthing centers are the safest setting for birth’.
But a statement released last year from its Committee on Obstetric Practice said it ‘respects the right of a woman to make a medically-informed decision about delivery’.
It said women enquiring about planned home births should be informed of the risks and benefits.
