AAP Sets Guidelines for Home-Births

The American Academy of Pediatrics said Monday that although hospitals and birthing centers are the best places to deliver babies, doctors need to be supportive of mothers who choose to deliver at home.

Home-births are still uncommon in the U.S. According to American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), about 0.6 percent or 25,000 births in the country are home-births. A planned home-birth carries two- to threefold higher risk of neonatal death than a planned birth at a hospital.

According to the new policy statement, regardless of the location of the birth, babies should get healthcare on par with the standards recommended by the AAP.

"We felt that it needed to be stated that no matter where a baby was born, the care needs to adhere to the same standards," said the guideline's lead author Dr. Kristi Watterberg, a professor of pediatrics and a neonatologist at the University of New Mexico, reports nbcnews.com. "One thing we feel very strongly about is that there needs to be one person present at the birth whose primary responsibility is care of the baby. While it's uncommon for both the mom and the baby to get into trouble, it does happen."

AAP said that at least one person should take care of the baby after birth. All medical equipment and telephones must be checked before delivery. All home births should be carried out by a certified midwife.

The guidelines recommended by the Association also include detailed monitoring of heart rate, pulse and respiratory rates of the baby along with facility to transport the mother and baby to the nearest hospital in case of an emergency.

Read the entire policy statement here.