A new study by the National Collaborating Centre for Women's and Children's Health claims that women are eight times more likely to lose their baby if they opt for a home birth and then have to be transferred to hospital.
Published in the BJOG journal, the research was based on all home births over a decade. Despite the latest figures there were only 65 deaths out of 10,752 home births with 15% of women who have opted to give birth at home being transferred to hospital.
Less than 2% of women choose to have a home birth, but the government has promised the option to all women by 2009.
The research has been widely criticised by home birth advocates as the word 'transfers' does not solely apply to women who were rushed into hospital in labour. It also applies to women who had initially chosen a home birth and ended up giving birth in hospital.
The Royal College of Midwives and The National Childbirth Trust also claim that the study is inconclusive and that childbirth in the UK remains extremely safe.
For more information on home birth visit www.nct.org.uk or www.rcm.org.uk
