Home delivery and its outcomes in India

Abstract

In 1986, World Health Organization (WHO) suggested the home as a suitable place for delivery process of pregnant women. Home delivery (HD) has been considered less or not at all in developing countries.
Based on official reports the rate of HD in Iran 2000 was 5.2% for urban areas. This study reports the reasons and outcomes of HD in 750 pregnant women of Koohdasht-Iran. All the women who resided in Koohdasht and had experienced HD during the study period were enrolled. The data were gathered through a questionnaire that filled in by the researcher while interviewing these women or their relatives. Seven hundred and fifty cases of HD were detected during the study period. The mean age of
women was 28 ± 0.7 years. Financial problems, personal willingness, and pervious history of HD were the most common reasons for HD. The majority of unpleasant outcomes of HD were precocious bleeding after HD, looseness of womb, and precocious rapture of sack which occurred in cases who were conducted by a local uneducated midwife and among the mothers who had their first delivery. Screening and selection of the pregnant women at low risk for HD can reduce the unpleasant outcomes. It is suggested to arrange some training program about HD for uneducated lay midwives and to the family planning units to emphasize the training mothers about the delivery process. Relevance to clinical practice: HD can be noted as an alternative choice for pregnant women.

Key words: Home delivery, home birth, out of hospital birth, India, Koohdasht.