Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have announced the birth of their first child, a healthy baby boy. Months before her giving birth, there has been speculation about where the Duchess would deliver her baby. Reports stated that she wished to deliver her first born at home because of privacy and comfort and this has renewed debates about the safety of giving birth at home.
Some media reports support this idea, but there are others who warned about the risks of giving birth at home. In the United Kingdom, most women gave birth at home until the 1960s. When the National Health Service was established, the Peel Report of 1970 recommended giving birth at the hospital. By 1975, it is estimated that only five percent of women still gave birth at home.
In fact, there is little evidence that hospitals are a safer birthing place for women who have normal, healthy pregnancies. Recent research from numerous countries has shown that for those with low-risk pregnancies, giving birth at home is safe. It is also stated that the outcomes for the newborn baby did not differ by place of birth. The women who planned to give birth at home had lower rates of obstetrical intervention such as fetal monitoring and pain medication, and they also had lower rates of caesarean section.
Regulated and well-trained midwives who are integrated into the health-care system play a vital role in the whole process as it promotes the safety of planned home birth. In countries such as the Netherlands, Canada, and the United Kingdom, midwives receive university-level education. Midwifery care is publicly funded, regardless of the birthplace, and access to hospital birth and emergency services are readily available. Another important part of safe home birth is the smooth transfer to hospital when needed.
Over the years, planned home birth has gained acceptance by obstetricians. The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in Canada released a statement that supports home birth for low-risk pregnant women. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in the United Kingdom recommends healthy, pregnant women to consider home birth to reduce the rates of caesarean section and other intervention.
If the birth of Baby Sussex did take place at Frogmore Cottage, then it will become a part of the tradition of royal babies born at home. This event will definitely spark an increase in the choice of giving birth at home in the United Kingdom and other countries.
