For a few decades, when all the mothers went to give birth to the hospital without qualms and without needing to look for another option, nobody doubted that the hospital was the best place to give birth.
However, times change, societies are advancing and health centers seem to have lagged a little behind in some ways, by not incorporating a new way of doing things, which is basically not so new, because it is a return to respect by natural processes, and many women have chosen to give birth at home to avoid excessive instrumentalization and to own their birth.
Now, a recent study concludes that giving birth at home multiplies by four the risk of death of the baby In the first month of life.
Data about the study
The study is not published yet, as it appears that it will be presented on February 7 at the annual meeting of the Maternal Fetal Medicine Society, in New Orleans, and said study says that the risk is greater, not by the professional which attends labor, because it compares hospital deliveries attended by midwives with home deliveries also attended by midwives, but for the place where the baby is born.
To do the study, researchers have collected data from the US Centers for Disease Control. and analyzing them, they observed that the risk of neonatal mortality (death between birth and day 28 after birth) was 3.2 per 10,000 births in hospitals with midwives and 12.6 per 10,000 births with midwives at home. If the woman gave birth to her first child, the risk of giving birth at home rose to 21.9 per 10,000.
Amos Grunebaum, lead author of the study, summarizes it as follows:
This risk increased seven times if it was the mother's first pregnancy, and about ten times in pregnancies beyond 41 weeks.
With these data, the researchers urge health professionals to explain the risks of giving birth at home and, at the same time, advocate creating a pleasant environment in hospitals, avoiding unnecessary practices, so that parents feel good Y don't see the need to give birth at home.
Will it be true?
Whenever a study appears with such alarming figures, we are struck by doubts about whether it will be true or not, in large part because as they explain the problem they do not seem to be professionals, but the place where the baby is born, and personally I cannot understand what difference can create one place or another ... that We're talking about giving birth at home, not in a block.
I ask this question because a few years ago a study was published in which it was ensured that home birth tripled the risk of infant mortality, and then revealed that home births without healthcare had been taken into account, biasing the data.
Other studies, which we have commented here on Babies and more, they conclude that home birth is so safe with the hospital, so right now we have scientific studies that provide conflicting data.
As we have not been able to read the present study, we cannot say anything about it, but we will be attentive in case there are news and we can conclude that what they say is true or if, on the contrary, we should not fear so much of our homes as a place to receive a baby.
