The number of individuals choosing to give birth at home has increased significantly in the United States over the past decade. It is essential to gain a greater understanding of the evidence regarding the provision of midwifery care to people considering this option. The safety of planned home birth continues to be debated and studied primarily through observational research both globally and within the United States. Findings from well-designed studies demonstrate that pregnant people who are essentially healthy at term with a singleton fetus and choose a planned home birth have positive outcomes and a lower rate of interventions during labor and birth; furthermore, there is no statistically significant impact on infant mortality when these births are attended by skilled health care providers. The purpose of this American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) clinical bulletin is to provide information, including relevant research, ethics, informed decision-making, and quality assurance, to midwives and other birth providers to use when caring for people planning a home birth.
Palmer et al. (Wed,) studied this question.