Home Births vs Hospital Births: Who's at Risk?

Should you have your baby at home or in a hospital?

That is a very personal question and how that question is answered is in part dependent on whom you are asking. If you are asking the American Medical Association or the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists then the answer is a hospital. It is the feeling of both organizations that home births are not safe and should be discouraged in the United States.

In fact the American Medical Association went as far as to endorse a resolution highlighting the risks of at home births after former talk show host Ricki Lake made a documentary movie advocating home births. According to Ricki Lake, the documentary “The Business of Being Born” was intended to inform women about their choices regarding childbirth and to give women access to all of the facts when making their decision.

The resolution adopted by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and endorsed by the American Medical Association declares hospitals to be the safest place for women to have babies. It goes on to warn women about the potential dangers of shoulder dystocia and other complications.

The story reported in the June 18, 2008 NY Daily News does not consider whether certified midwives would be able to safely birth babies who suffer from the unpredictable condition of shoulder dystocia. However, reader comments on this story seem to focus on that very point.

Several women discuss their experiences of having a baby who experiences shoulder dystocia.

Some discuss their hospital experiences and others discuss their home birth experiences. If you would like to read the story and accompanying comments, please click here.

Please leave a comment and tell us what you think: Are home births inherently unsafe because of unpredictable complications such as shoulder dystocia or do they provide a viable and important alternative for women?