{"id":426,"date":"2014-12-07T18:31:59","date_gmt":"2014-12-07T18:31:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/scholarblogs.emory.edu\/birthglobalhealth\/?p=426"},"modified":"2014-12-07T18:31:59","modified_gmt":"2014-12-07T18:31:59","slug":"britains-national-health-service-recommends-home-birth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scholarblogs.emory.edu\/birthglobalhealth\/2014\/12\/07\/britains-national-health-service-recommends-home-birth\/","title":{"rendered":"Britain’s national health service recommends home birth"},"content":{"rendered":"

I came across an article in The New York Times yesterday about Britain’s national health service encouraging women with low-risk pregnancies to have their birth experiences at home-that it was actually safer <\/em>to do so\u00a0than in a hospital or birthing center! \u00a0This echoes our discussion earlier this semester about the politics around birth location and the small, but active movement of home births in nations that are so accustomed to traditional hospital births. \u00a0This article claims that “giving birth in a traditional maternity ward increase(s) the chances of surgical intervention and therefore infection.” \u00a0Although we have already discussed the benefits and risks of having a home birth, the article is notable because it is comes from a national source and not a minority voice. \u00a0This could have tremendous impact on the way women in Britain think about their deliveries, where normally 9\/10 women give births in hospitals. \u00a0Still, there are opponents to the recommendations, citing a trend that could be misinterpreted by women who are not low-risk.<\/p>\n

What are your thoughts about this? \u00a0Do you think it’s ethical of an announcement as influential as the national health service (albeit of Britain, not the U.S.) to be broadcasted? \u00a0How do we establish a balance between preventing unnecessary hospital interventions and having as safe a birth as possible at home?<\/p>\n

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