Outcome of planned home and planned hospital births in low risk pregnancies: prospective study in midwifery practices in The Netherlands.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relation between the intended place of birth (home or hospital) and perinatal outcome in women with low risk pregnancies after controlling for parity and social, medical, and obstetric background.


METHODS
Analysis of prospective data from midwives and their clients.


METHODS
54 midwifery practices in the province of Gelderland, Netherlands.


METHODS
97 midwives and 1836 women with low risk pregnancies who had planned to give birth at home or in hospital.


METHODS
Perinatal outcome index based on "maximal result with minimal intervention" and incorporating 22 items on childbirth, 9 on the condition of the newborn, and 5 on the mother after the birth.


RESULTS
There was no relation between the planned place of birth and perinatal outcome in primiparous women when controlling for a favourable or less favourable background. In multiparous women, perinatal outcome was significantly better for planned home births than for planned hospital births, with or without control for background variables.


CONCLUSIONS
The outcome of planned home births is at least as good as that of planned hospital births in women at low risk receiving midwifery care in the Netherlands.
Wiegers
T A
TA
NIVEL (Netherlands Institute of Primary Health Care), Utrecht, Netherlands.
Keirse
M J
MJ
van der Zee
J
J
Berghs
G A
GA
D002755:Choice Behavior; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006700:Home Childbirth / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008880:Midwifery; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D010298:Parity; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011295:Prenatal Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors