Gyno Groupie

In our society today, women have a choice as to where to deliver their babies.  Though home births have been on the slow increase (with some ‘popularization’ by certain celebrity backing,) we should be careful not to ‘over-glamourize’ the concept of home birth.  Before considering the option of home birth, it’s vitally important for us to understand the risks of delivering a baby at home, even when those desires for home birth are based on concerns for a more private, comfortable, or ‘natural’ birthing experience.

Though the risk of neonatal death from a home birthing experience is (overall) considered low, findings from a new Cornell University study on home births show us that the risk of neonatal death is nearly 4X higher for babies delivered at home than those delivered in a hospital setting.  According to lead author Dr. Amos Grunebaum,  a professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology at Cornell University's Weill Cornell Medical College,  the predominant reason why “Home birth is more dangerous”, is that births occurring at home don't have the advantage of a hospital delivery, where immediate critical care is available for the baby if a complication arises.  "There's insufficient equipment and personnel available [in the home] to address complications," Grunebaum says. Woman should know these risks before considering a home birth.