‘Time to act is now’: Coroner probes Qld homebirth tragedies

Two cases of homebirth deaths have been referred to the Coroner with the most recent an infant who died at a regional Queensland property where two doulas were assisting in the delivery.

A baby has died during a homebirth at a Queensland property where two doulas were helping deliver the baby.

The Courier-Mail understands ambulance officers were faced with a confronting scene at the home on Wednesday where the baby is believed to have suffered a cardiac arrest and died.

The latest horror case comes as the Queensland Government is set to clamp down on doula homebirths as the death of the baby was referred to the state coroner who was already probing a similar case.

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman told The Courier-Mail she is working closely with the Coroner who will advise her on recommendations around freebirthing.

And obstetricians are calling for a review into and the publication of the findings around “the death, disability and harms associated with women having babies without appropriately trained professional care”.

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman is working with the Coroner. Photo: Scott Powick.

Doulas are not trained medics and are not registered health practitioners. They are trained only as a support for labouring mothers.

In the latest incident this week the newborn died at a birth believed to have been attended by two doulas.

Paramedics were called to a home in the Toowoomba region, but the baby was unable to be saved. Police have been informed, and the matter has now been referred to the Coroner. It is believed the scene at the home was confronting.

“I want Queensland women to have as much choice as possible when it comes to their birthing experience but I want them to be able to do it safely. At present Queensland women can access homebirths through privately practising midwives and Queensland Health will continue to facilitate private midwives to admit women in their care to public hospitals,” Ms Fentiman said.

The doula industry is unregulated and some charge as much as $3000.

“It’s important every pregnant woman understands that under Australian law doulas are not registered health professionals. They are not required to be registered with a government medical authority and the Australian Doulas code of practice states they do not perform clinical or medical tasks,” she said.

The publicly funded homebirthing program pilot begins on July 1 on the Sunshine Coast.

“The service will be offered to women who meet agreed clinical criteria and live within a safe travel distance to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital,” the minister said.

The National Association of Specialists Obstetricians and Gynaecologists president Gino Pecoraro has called for the review.

“There must be an appropriate legislative and judicial response. The time to act is now, before anyone else’s harmed,” he said.

The majority of births in Queensland happen in a hospital setting or at a birth centre. In 2022, 60,477 women in Queensland gave birth to 61,404 babies, of which 350 were homebirths representing 0.6 per cent of total births. It is not clear the number of women who intended to birth at home without a trained and regulated health professional (midwife, obstetrician or medical officer) compared to women who could afford a private midwife for homebirth.