Study Shows Home Birth Lowers Cesarean Risk

Based on these study results, women who want to avoid a cesarean should consider planning a home birth with a Certified Professional Midwife," said Tonya Jamois, president of the International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN). Double digit cesarean rates subject women and babies to the risks of preventable surgery and drive up the cost of health care for everyone."

(PRWEB) June 21, 2005 -- A landmark study published June 18 in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) shows planned home births with Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) result in significantly lower cesarean rates than planned hospital births.

The 2000 study by a Canadian epidemiologist and a CPM tracked more than 5,000 pregnant women in the United States and Canada planning home birth. The result was a 3.7 percent cesarean rate among all mothers and a 1.7 percent cesarean rate among women who previously gave birth vaginally.

Based on these study results, women who want to avoid a cesarean should consider planning a home birth with a Certified Professional Midwife," said Tonya Jamois, president of the International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN). Double digit cesarean rates subject women and babies to the risks of preventable surgery and drive up the cost of health care for everyone."

The Centers for Disease Control documented a 23 percent cesarean rate for the U.S. in 2000, the same year in which the study was conducted. The most recent figures available show the U.S. with a 27.6 percent cesarean rate in 2003 and Canada with a 24 percent rate in 2002.

We hope the positive results of this home birth study will move the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) to review their protocols and guidelines to support women who choose home birth and to integrate Certified Professional Midwives into the healthcare system," Jamois said. Currently, ACOG opposes home birth.

The largest study of its kind to date found planned home births for low-risk women in the United States are associated with similar safety and less medical intervention as low-risk hospital births." http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/abridged/330/7505/1416

ICAN recognizes that when a cesarean is necessary it can be a lifesaving technique for both mother and baby and worth the risks involved. However, a cesarean is major surgery and should be used only when necessary because it does introduce risks. Potential risks to babies include: low birth weight; prematurity; respiratory problems; and lacerations. Potential risks to mothers include: hemorrhage; infection; hysterectomy; surgical mistakes; re-hospitalization; dangerous placental abnormalities in future pregnancies; unexplained stillbirth in future pregnancies and increased percentage of maternal death.

ICAN is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve maternal-child health by preventing unnecessary cesareans through education, providing support for cesarean recovery and promoting vaginal birth after cesarean. There are more than 60 ICAN Chapters in the U.S. and Canada, which hold education and support meetings for people interested in cesarean prevention and recovery. For more information, visit www.ican-online.org or call ICAN President Tonya Jamois at (760) 744-5260 or the ICAN office at (800) 686-ICAN.

Media Note
Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) are direct-entry midwives (DEMs) who earned certification from the North American Registry of Midwives (www.narm.org) and who practice primarily in out-of-hospital settings.

Some states, such as South Carolina, that have regulatory laws governing home birth midwives also give a licensure title to the midwives who meet specific state-defined criteria. These midwives are called Licensed Midwives (LMs). In other states, such as Florida, licensed midwifery training culminates in taking the exam for Certified Professional Midwife in order to practice in that state.

A midwife who is a CPM and/or LM would include that acronym after her name as in Jane Smith, CPM, LM.

The above midwives are NOT to be confused with Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs) who work with obstetricians in providing maternity care for women delivering in a hospital setting or in some cases a birth center.

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