See the Kennebec Journal’s coverage of this:
http://www.kjonline.com/news/study-home-births-more-dangerous_2010-07-04.html
My two cents:
Like “Dr. Klein”, cited at the end of the article, I would have to agree that this research is “crap” and completely transparent in it’s political motivations. First off, it’s written by American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) OBs, who, as an organization staunchly oppose homebirth. The data collection itself seems quite flawed, as well. The authors looked at different countries, with different systems of care and often going off of birth certificates, which can be misleading. They also used data dating back to the 1970’s and 1980’s. Their main finding, that infants are 3% more likely to die from a planned homebirth is actually .03% when you look at the fine print.
I haven’t been able to locate a link to the actual study yet (it was published recently in ACOG’s journal) but there has been quite a response.
See this Mothering Magazine Online Discussion thread:
http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=1239494
The forum authors raise great points and they cite links to articles in other publications that characterize the findings as “flawed.”
This new “research” reminds me of ACOG’s “Resolution 205”, issued in 2008, around pursuing legislation in US States to ensure that women give birth in hospitals.
What is your response to the ACOG article?
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