Homebirth Baby Dies — Who’s To Blame?
Posted by Amber Robinson at 3:05 PM on September 15, 2008
A newborn baby died last week after a woman refused a recommended induction at hospital and attempted a freebirth (birth without registered care professional in attendance). Doulas and a midwife were called but arrived too late to save the baby, who was stillborn.
The baby died last Sunday three days after the mother presented at Nepean Hospital. Doctors found the baby was fine but warned the woman she was at high risk of complications, including the rupture of a scar from a previous caesarean. They said they wanted to induce labour immediately.
She refused and returned to her Blue Mountains home where she later gave birth to a stillborn baby.
This article in the SMH seems to suggest it was the woman’s fault for ignoring medical advice.
But looking at the case in more detail, why was the woman offered an induction when she was at risk of a uterine rupture? Inductions can make ruptures more likely. And if the cause of death was, as suggester, a Group B streptococcus infection, would it have been picked up in time at the hospital to save the baby?
Some say the incident is scaremongering by the medical profession who are against independent midwives having access to Medicare provider numbers.
I tend to agree with Australian College of Midwives spokeswoman Hannah Dahlen who told the SMH, “The increase in women freebirthing is a symptom of a system that does not give women choice. We’re seeing more and more of these concerning incidents in the last two years. It has to be addressed, and urgently.”
An autopsy will be held for the baby, but it is clear that the homebirth debate will continue to be a divisive one for a long time to come.
The SMH article is misleading, is about freebirthing not homebirth they are very very different.
People are resorting to freebirth due to fear of being in a hospital (note the woman in the story had a Ceasarian for her first baby, obviously she was scared to go into hospital again) and the cost of homebirthing, its not covered by Medicare or private health as it should. The AMA and the medical industry simply dont want us to have homebirths.
An elective Ceasarian is free in a public hospital here in Australia, WHY?..they cost the tax payer $10k+ just for the operation then add the cost of hospital stay etc, its more like $20k+. I am not knocking anyone who “needs” to have a Ceasarian for medical reasons at all, however i just think its not fair in my opinion if you choose to have one for non medical reasons you should have to pay for it. When we chose to have a homebirth we had to pay for it ourselves, we did have to go to hospital as well, we have no regrets and now have a happy healthy 11 month girl. Do some research, Homebirth is not as dangerous as you may think, having a baby is not an illness.