What the New Homebirth Study Doesn’t Tell You

Just something short and sweet today since there is so much hoopla over this new “Homebirth Study”. Major problem I see with it? It is not focused on planned home births with medical professionals which has been shown to be as safe as hospital births in other studies. In an attempt to spin Doctor, the group that published this study (in the heat of a public debate and legislature in New York City) did not focus on planned home births, but rather all home births.

Why is that a problem?
Because lumping in emergent situations or people who accidentally gave birth at home, or gave birth without a medical professional present in with people who researched, studied, and planned a birth at home with a medical professional is just foolish.

There should be two completely different studies.
One study focusing on the accidental home births, which no doubt would result in a three times higher risk of neo natal death.
And one study focusing on planned home births with medical professionals.
The problem is, the study on planned home births will not yield the alarming neo natal death results they want in the public eye. Which would not prove the hysterical point they are trying to make about home births being so “dangerous”.

A couple awesome posts proving why this study does not yield appropriate results?

Amy Romano, Midwife and awesome writer (who taught locally at the Yale School of Midwifery this last semester) wrote a blog called Meta-analysis : The Wrong Tool (wielded improperly)

Jennifer Block, Birth Advocate, Writer, and Author of Pushed wrote another awesome article about it too titled AJOG Home Birth Study Political?

The Big Push For Midwives made a press release also regarding this study. All great reads. Many other birth related organizations including CIMS (the coalition for Improving Maternity Care) also spoke out.
Just going to how how many true professionals in the field know the horrible inaccuracies being shared through this fly by night study.

(Other news articles on the planned home birth as safe as hospital birth)
USA Today
BMJ
The actual Study Text
Another Study

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9 comments

tags: AJOG, home birth, homebirth, jennifer block, study, the big push
category: Uncategorized

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1

By: Nicholas Fogelson, MD Twitter: @Academicobgyn

I agree that the methodology of the study was poor. They may publish a subset of that data that shows attended births only.
Nicholas Fogelson, MD´s last [type] ..Green Journal – Vertical vs Transverse Skin Incisions for Emergent Cesarean

2

By: lynda Twitter: @lynda

that was my first thought when someone on twitter brought it up.

the only reason this is an issue is greed. Midwives are a lot cheaper than doctors. It’s always been this way since birth entered the hospitals.

have you read the birth house btw? It’s a great book!
lynda´s last [type] ..I Heart Faces- Fix it Friday 61

3

By: Danielle

I am not sure if they purposely did it to be deceitful, or if they really authored a study that badly…

4

By: Danielle

No, but I want to!

5

By: Nicholas Fogelson, MD Twitter: @Academicobgyn

Don’t know about midwives being less expensive than docs. I get around $1200 for a global maternity care, and have to employ full time billers to extract it from insurers. Most homebirth midwives I know charge $3000 for a pregnancy and accept cash, check, or credit card. No insurance, no billers, no malpractice insurance. Looks like a good deal for them to me.
Nicholas Fogelson, MD´s last [type] ..Green Journal – Vertical vs Transverse Skin Incisions for Emergent Cesarean

6

By: Jenny Twitter: @SIDAC

Can’t believe this… you are so right about this study.
Jenny´s last [type] ..My New Summer Skirt

7

By: Danielle

I am not sure about the midwives in your area, but the ones I used for my second child, and most of them in my area take insurance, have billers, and malpractice insurance.
As well as an office to run, and employees. I know how much I was charged for my care which was $5,200. I do not know how much my insurance ended up paying because
we had to change plans and insurers mid pregnancy because of my husband being laid off and his insurance dropping us. In turn, the OB that was on call made TRIPLE of what my midwives made that day alone. And I had never met them before. It is sad how it works. Especially where I live.
A friend of mine who recently had a home birth in February had it covered by her insurance also. Which she got more than half back for what she paid.

8

By: cassie Twitter: @cassiethedoula

Re: Dr. Fogelson

I paid 2,400$ for my midwives. Though they don’t pay malpractice, this covered TWO midwives who pay licensing fees. It covered every.single.prenatal appointment, the birth, birth location, and postpartum. Not to mention, transportation.

My birth wiith my son cost $7400. That was JUST the birth. I know part of it was a facility fee (which takes in account that hospitals make billions of dollars off of birth as well), but that’s not including how much I paid my doctor for prenatal and postpartum check ups either.

9

By: cassie Twitter: @cassiethedoula

Also, another thing to consider: my 2 midwives attend around 6-10 births a month (spending up to 48 hours with a laboring mother). They also employ 2 birth assistances and pay rent on an office building.

I’ve never seen a midwife driving a Lexus. I’ll say that much.

** I wanted to add, my ‘elder’ midwife has delivered over 2,000 babies. She has lost 2 babies, both due to abnormalities (I.e. not her fault in anyway).

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