An Oregon study gives pregnant women new factors to consider when deciding whether to have a baby in a hospital or elsewhere.
OHSU epidemiologist Dr. Jonathan Snowden looked at the birth certificates of about 80,000 Oregon women to understand the risks of both in-hospital and out-of-hospital deliveries.
OHSU
The vast majority of women are likely to have a healthy birth, regardless of where they deliver.
But OHSU epidemiologist Dr. Jonathan Snowden says giving birth in the U.S. isn’t as safe as in many other developed countries — and he wanted to see where the problems lie. “In the out-of-hospital setting, you saw a small but significant increase in the risk of perinatal deaths as well as severe neonatal complications," he said.
"In-hospital births have a higher risk for obstetric procedures and interventions. Things like C-sections.”
Oregon is trying to reduce the number of C-sections because of their possible complications.
The study found that about four percent of Oregon births don’t take place in a hospital.
Authors recommend expectant mothers have a system in place when delivering at home, so they can easily be be transferred to a hospital if necessary.
