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What About Safety?

Studies have shown that planned home birth in a clean environment is actually safer than hospital delivery. If that fact were more widely known, perhaps home birth would be more broadly practiced in the USA, where it is now a very small percentage of total births.

It is important to note that America is far from the safest place to have a baby. In fact, the USA ranks 23rd worldwide in infant mortality statistics. That means there are 22 other countries where childbirth is safer than in the United States.

With such a poor record it is obvious that we must take a closer look at our standard childbirth practices, which have not worked well, discover what is being done wrong, and make the changes necessary to correct the problem.

It is disappointing to learn that the United States has one of the highest cesearean rates of all the developed countries, averaging over 25% nationally, and running well over 60% in some teaching hospitals. However, a cesarean rate of only 3-6% is typical of the Scandinavian countries, where midwifery is far more widespread, and which also have significantly lower infant and maternal mortality figures.

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