The “Authorities” Resolve Against Home Birth

Abstract

Nancy K. Lowe Editor This editorial has been gathering momentum in my mind since I heard about a resolution introduced by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) to the House of Delegates of the American Medical Association’s (AMA) annual meeting in June 2008. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’s resolution #205 was adopted by the AMA and is titled ‘‘Home Deliveries.’’ So that I cannot be accused of misquoting the AMA or ACOG, you will ¢nd the text of the adopted resolution at the end of this editorial. In his ‘‘College News’’ column of ACOGToday (September 2008), ACOG Executive Vice President Ralph W. Hale reported on his attendance at the AMA Annual Meeting and wrote, ‘‘Also, there was model legislation related to home deliveries supporting the ACOG position against home births.’’ The point of this resolution is to lobby against home birth as an option for women and against providers of home birth services. This type of resolution by ‘‘authoritative’’ bodies such as ACOG and AMA will certainly in£uence decisions made by third-party payers when women request home birth services and by liability insurance carriers when providers seek coverage for home birth services.