Community Perspectives on Home Birth in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization released a statement indicating that women can choose to give birth at home if their pregnancy is low risk and they receive the appropriate level of care during labor and childbirth. Additionally, there needs to be a contingency plan for transfer to a properly staffed and equipped birthing unit in case of problems. The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health “Safe Birth Model of Care” by 2030 aims to have a midwifery-led continuity of maternity care as standard: low-risk births are to take place at home or at a birth center, depending on the preference of the woman and her family. Low-risk pregnant women will be expected to receive antenatal care from an appropriately trained and experienced primary care physician or midwife, as appropriate, with the option to refer to the comprehensive obstetrics service as necessary. This midwifery-led continuity of care has yet to be implemented in Saudi Arabia (Altaweli et al., 2020).RESEARCH PURPOSES: The purposes of this study were to assess the community of respondents to an online survey and perspectives regarding home birth and determine challenges to initiation of a policy and practice of home birth in Saudi Arabia.METHODS: A cross-sectional design using an online 14-item online survey instrument was used to collect data from 5,930 respondents who provided their views on home birth in Saudi Arabia.FINDINGS: A total of 53.4% of respondents were interested in the concept of home birth, with the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for this interest in slightly more than one-third of respondents (37.4%). Additionally, 14.3% hoped to avoid unnecessary medical interventions in a hospital setting. It was also found that 46.6% of the respondents were not interested in the potential for a home birth, and of those, 98.8% attributed their disinterest in the safety of hospitals to their preference of a home birth.CONCLUSIONS: There was significant interest in the concept of home birth in Saudi Arabia due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions. This interest was related to a desire of women to have a more positive birth experience and avoid unnecessary medical interventions. The findings suggest a clear need for a fully developed home birth policy, fully integrated with existing maternity care services in Saudi Arabia, and increased awareness of the safety and suitability of home birth for low-risk women. Home birth should be an option for women with low-risk pregnancies in Saudi Arabia.