Midwifery Provision of Home Birth Services: American College of Nurse-Midwives.

Abstract

The number of women in the United States choosing to give birth at home has risen substantially in the past decade, creating an increased need for understanding of the evidence regarding the provision of midwifery care to women and families considering this option. The safety of home birth has been evaluated in observational studies in several industrialized nations, including the United States. Most studies find that women who are essentially healthy at term with a singleton fetus and give birth at home have positive outcomes and a lower rate of interventions during labor. Although some studies have found increased neonatal morbidity and mortality in newborns born at home when compared to newborns born in a hospital, the absolute numbers reported in both birth sites are very low. The purpose of this clinical bulletin is to review the evidence on provision of care to women and families who plan to give birth at home, including roles and responsibilities, shared decision making, informed consent, and ongoing assessment for birth site selection.