Doctors blast study which claims homebirths are just as safe as hospital births

A NEW Australian study suggesting giving birth at home is as safe as giving birth in hospital has been blasted by doctors as misleading. But one Sydney professor is defending the study.

A NEW Australian study suggesting giving birth at home is as safe as giving birth in hospital has been blasted by doctors as misleading.

The Royal Australian New Zealand College of Obstetricians and ­Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) has ­issued a statement in response to the study, published in the upcoming July edition of Midwifery journal. The study found that homebirths and hospital births “had no statistically significant impact on infant mortality”.

However, Professor Steve Robson said the study included majority ­research from the Netherlands.

Professor Steve Robson has blasted the study, with the majority of the research from Netherlands.

Therefore the study is not applicable to Australia and “compared ­oranges with apples”, he said.

“Such a conclusion makes it difficult for women to make the best decision about their maternity care and just isn’t relevant to the Australian setting. We are keen to make sure people making the choice have the right information and not given information that is falsely reassuring.”

Prof Robson said the review also left out two large studies that ­categorically showed homebirths were more risky.

Senior author Professor Caroline Homer, Director for the Centre for Midwifery at the University of Technology, defended the paper.

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However, one professor from UTS is defending the study.

“We cannot say that this systematic review shows homebirth is as safe in the whole of Australia specifically,” she said.

“However it does provide more evidence that homebirth can be safe given the right circumstances. What it shows that homebirth can be safe and more research on the whole country is needed. We are doing such a study and will be published later this year. This study is showing women that in the right circumstance, homebirth is a safe option and we should be saying to our health system, why aren’t you providing this option?”

Prof Homer said the RANZCOG response was “sadly” a turf war issue between doctors and midwives.