The safety of home birth and evidence-based medicine

Czech version

Authors: P. Křepelka; P. Velebil
Authors‘ workplace: Ústav pro péči o matku a dítě, Praha, ředitel doc. MUDr. J. Feyereisl, CSc.
Published in: Ceska Gynekol 2012; 77(6): 555-558

Overview

Objective:
To review the available scientific evidence of perinatal outcome of planned home births and their reflection in the Czech Republic.

Design:
Review article.

Setting:
Institute for the Care of Mother and Child, Prague – Podolí.

Method:
An overview of recently published data.

Results:
Results of studies that evaluate the safety of planned home births are inconsistent and burdened by methodological limitations (selection bias, the absence of randomized trials, insuficient sample size and the lack of a control group). Evidence of argument that home birth is as safe as hospital birth, are insufficient. Consensual acceptance of home birth is conditioned by the exclusion of individual risk of complications, presence of qualified personnel and availability of emmergency transfer to hospital.

Conclusion:
Study of the safety of planned home births are methodologically limited and their results are inconsistent. Currently, there is no professional, organizational and legal framework for the management of planned home births in the Czech Republic.

Key words:
home birth, feto-maternal morbidity, perinatal outcome.

Sources

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