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ARTICLES
on MIDWIFERY, etc.
Back
Journal
Articles
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| "Most
indicators suggest that home delivery does not pose a
higher risk than hospital delivery and that it reduces
some of the additional risks of interventions." |
|
BMJ,
Nov.1996
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| Every
study that has compared midwives and obstetricians has
found better outcomes for midwives for same-risk patients.
In some studies, midwives actually served higher risk
populations than the physicians and still obtained lower
mortality's and morbidity's. The superiority and safety
of midwifery for most women no longer needs to be proven.
It has been well established." |
|
Madrona,
Lewis & Morgaine, The Future of Midwifery in the
United States, NAPSAC News, Fall-Winter, 1993, p.30
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| "In
the U.S. the national infant mortality rate was 8.9 deaths
per 1,000 live births [in 1991]. The worst state was Delaware
at 11.8, with the District of Columbia even worse at 21.0.
The best state was Vermont, with only 5.8. Vermont also
has one of the highest rates of home birth in the country
as well as a larger portion of midwife-attended births
than most states. " |
|
Stewart,
David, International Infant Mortality Rates--U.S. in
22nd Place, NAPSAC News, Fall- Winter, 1993, p.36
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| "The
international standing of the U.S. [in terms of infant
mortality rates] did not really begin to fall until the
mid-1950s. This correlates perfectly with the founding
of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist
(ACOG) in 1951. ACOG is a trade union representing the
financial and professional interests of obstetricians
who has sought to secure a monopoly in pregnancy and childbirth
services. Prior to ACOG, the U.S. always ranked in 10th
place or better. Since the mid-1950s the U.S. has consistently
ranked below 12th place and hasn't been above 16th place
since 1975. The relative standing of the U.S. continues
to decline even to the present." |
|
Stewart,
David, International Infant Mortality Rates--U.S. in
22nd Place, NAPSAC News, Fall-Winter, 1993, p.38
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| The
Texas Department of Health's own statistics show that
midwives in Texas have a lower infant mortality rate than
physicians. |
|
Texas
Lay midwifery Program, Six Year Report, 1983- 1989,
Berstein & Bryant, Appendix Vlllf, Texas Department
of Health, I 100 West 49th St., Austin, TX 78756-3199.
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| In
the state of Oregon from 1975-1979, there were approximately
3-4 neonatal deaths per 1000 births in homebirths attended
by midwives, as opposed to approximately 9-10 deaths per
1000 births for all residents. The same figure indicates
approximately 5 infant deaths per 1000 births in homebirths
attended by midwives, as opposed to approximately 12 deaths
per 1000 births for all residents. |
|
Research
Issues in the Assessment of Birth Settings, Institute
of Medicine, National Academy Press, Washington, 1982,
p. 175
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| |
| "In
The five European countries with the lowest infant mortality
rates, midwives preside at more than 70 percent of all
births. More than half of all Dutch babies are born at
home with midwives in attendance, and Holland's maternal
and infant mortality rates are far lower than in the United
States..." |
|
"Midwives
Still Hassled by Medical Establishment," Caroline
Hall Otis, Utne Reader, Nov./Dec. 1990, pp. 32-34
|
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| "Of
the 3,189 midwife-assisted deliveries studied, episiotomies
were done on 5 percent of the women, the Cesarean section
rate varied from 2.2 percent to 8.1 percent, and perinatal
mortality (the number of babies who die during or shortly
after birth) averaged 5.2 per 1,000. Compare these numbers
to those for New Mexico obstetricians and physicians during
the same period: nearly routine use of episiotomies in
many hospitals, a Cesarean rate that varied from 15 percent
to 25 percent,and a perinatal mortality rate of 11.3 per
1,000. Looking at these numbers, Rebecca Watson, the maternal-health
program manager at the New Mexico Department of Health
commented, 'I sometimes wonder why [we bother compiling
statistics on midwives], since their statistics are so
much better than everyone else's. " |
|
Sharon
Bloyd- Peshkin, Midwifery: Off to a Good Start, p. 69,
Vegetarian Times, December 1992
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| Records
kept from 1969-73 in England and Wales indicate still
birth rates of 4.5 per 1000 births for home deliveries
as opposed to 14.8 per 1000 births for hospital deliveries.
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|
The
place of Birth, Sheila Kitzinger & John Davis, eds.,
1978 Oxford University Press, pp. 62-63
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| 'Mothering
Magazine has calculated that using midwifery care for
75% of the births in the U.S. would save an estimated
$8.5 billion per year." |
|
Madrona,
Lewis & Morgaine, The Future of Midwifery in the
United States, NAPSAC News, Fall-Winter, 1993, p. 15
November 23, 1996 issue of the British Medical Journal.
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| "Our
research has shown that, for women with low risk pregnancies
in the Netherlands, choosing to give birth at home is
a safe choice with an outcome that is at least as good
as that of planned hospital birth." |
|
Ibid.
p.13
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| "During
delivery, the home birth group needed significantly less
medication and fewer interventions whereas no differences
were found in durations of labour, occurrence of severe
perineal lesions, and maternal blood loss." |
|
"Home
Versus Hospital Deliveries: Follow Up Study of Matched
Pairs for Procedures and Outcome", p. 1)
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| "The
mean Apgar score, five and 10 minute, babies in the planned
home delivery group had higher scores.[over planned hospital
delivery]" (Ibid. p. 8) "There was no evidence
that the more liberal use of episiotomy in hospitals prevented
severe perineal lesions." (Ibid. p. 9) "The
lower rate of interventions in home births meant a lower
risk of subsequent complications for the mother."
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|
Ibid.
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Thanks
to Anne Boyd for supplying this list.
Page
updated -
6 June, 2007
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