However, mothers may be twice as likely to lose their baby when compared to the national average. Overall, one baby in 1,400 died during birth or in the first week, whereas one baby in 800 born at home or intended to be born in the home died. The risk was greatest for intended home births where complications arose and mothers had to be transferred to hospital. One in 150 of those babies died.
Experts have warned that the data was not 100% reliable and it means the findings should be treated with caution, and midwives said that home births were generally safe. The findings will throw doubt on the Government's pledge that all women will be able to opt for a home birth by 2009 and numbers of home births are rising. Although home births in England shot up by 10 per cent in 2006 against 2005, at 16,923 they were still just 2.5 per cent of all births.
The research carried out by Prof Martin Whittle, of The National Collaborating Centre for Women's and Children's Health, found the overall deaths amongst babies from labour and birth complications was 0.79 per 1,000. The mortality rate amongst booked home births was 0.96 per 1,000 and includes those babies intended to be born at home but where the mother had to be transferred to hospital half way through labour due to complications.
The research is published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
Professor Philip Steer, its editor in chief, said mothers should be informed of the increased risk of opting for a home birth. He said: "If it if your first pregnancy, then one in four women will develop a problem during labour that was unforseeable.
"A successful home birth can be great but the tragedy is that it can go wrong."
More research is being carried out to compare the mortality rates in home births with and without complications to those in hospital.
Dame Karlene Davis, General Secretary of the Royal College of Midwives, told the Daily Telegraph: "The research is welcome, but it is far from conclusive. Women planning a home birth should not be worried, because, with the proper support and resources in place, a home birth is safe.
"What is needed to make home birth even safer are better staffing and resources, such as quick access to ambulance transfers for the very small number of women who develop complications."
April 2008
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