According to the Centers for Disease Control, the percentage of home births rose by 29% from 2004 to 2009, to it’s highest level since date collection began in 1989.
The increase was driven overall by a 36% increase in home births in non-Hispanic white women.
1 in every 90 births among white women are now home births!
Women tend to prefer a home birth over a hospital birth for several reasons including a desire for a low intervention birth in a familiar environment surrounded by family and friends, cultural and religious concerns and of course financial factors with home births costing almost one-third of a hospital delivery.
Key Findings from the CDC:
- Home births are more common among women aged 35 and over, and among women with several previous children.
- Home births have a lower risk profile than hospital births, with fewer births to teenagers or unmarried women, and with fewer preterm, low birthweight and multiple births.
- The percentage of home births was generally higher in the northwestern and lower in the southeastern UNited States with Montana having the highest percentage of home births (2.55%). In contrast the percentage of home births was less than 0.50% in states like Nebraska and Texas.
- 62% home births were attended by Midwives verses 5% attended by physicians. Studies suggest most physician attended home births were probably emergency situations. This is in stark contrast to the 92% physician attendance rate in the hospital.
Currently Nebraska and Arkansas are the only states in the U.S. where it is unlawful for Midwives to attend a home birth.
