Abstract
Background: Home birth is still considered an unusual situation on most developed countries, where it accounts between 0.2 and 25 percent of all births depending of the country. However, the safety of the process and whether it should be offered as a choice makes it a controversial topic with strong opinions on both sides. This review aims to describe the situation of home birth in several developed countries and debate its safety and mothers’ satisfaction, by reviewing studies that compare home vs. hospital births.Methods: A systematic research has been done using different search engines to find publications that portray the current situation on this topic. Protocols and historical facts were selected using no filters, while publications reporting maternal and birth outcomes, as well as levels of satisfaction, were selected using filters that limited the search to articles that had been published in the last 10 years. A total of 45 articles were selected and reviewed.Results: Home birth in each country depends on many factors, including historical and cultural. Some countries have either developed good practice guidelines or included home birth on the already existing ones, while some other countries still do not recognize it as a safe option. While most studies do not show significant differences on neonatal mortality APGAR score and intensive care admissions, they do describe slightly better maternal outcomes on home birth due to lower interventionism. Studies also show that between 13 and 29 percent of home births require transferring the woman or the fetus to the hospital. Satisfaction levels also appear to be higher in women who had a planned home birth.Conclusions: Home birth appears to be a safe choice for women with low risk pregnancies, due to a lower rate of interventionism. However, safety depends on many factors, from professional accreditation, to the presence of protocols and good practice guidelines. Satisfaction also appears to be higher on women who had a planned home birth, although it depends on personal considerations and circumstances.
Do Economic Evaluations in Primary Care Prevention and the Management of Hypertension Conform to Good Practice Guidelines? A Systematic Review
