The National Birth Center Study II

The Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health published, on January 31, 2013, their second study of birth centers in the US. And like their first study, this study's result were very similar:  “birth centers offer a safe and acceptable alternative to hospital confinement for selected pregnant women, particularly those who have previously had children, and that such care leads to relatively few cesarean sections.”

Here are some quick facts from the Study

• Of more than 15,000 women eligible for birth center care when labor started, 93% had spontaneous vaginal births, and 6% had cesareans.
• 16% of women transferred during labor, and approximately 2.5% of mothers or newborns required transfer to the hospital after birth. Emergent transfer before or after birth was required for 1.9% of women in labor or for their newborns. Most women who transferred in labor had vaginal births.
• There were no maternal deaths. The intrapartum stillbirth rate was 0.47/1000, and the neonatal mortality rate was 0.40/1000 excluding anomalies.

Birth centers are safe and cost effective, so why aren't there more birth centers in the US?

Check out Science and Sensibility for more information on the National Birth Center Study II.

Related to that, a Charleston Midwife will speak in Congress today to address them about the safe cost-effective nature of birth center midwifery care siting the National Birth Center Study II that was just released. Times could be changing!

http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20130207/PC16/130209432/1268/local-midwife-to-testify-before-congress&source=RSS