Trends and Characteristics of Home Births in the United States by Race and Ethnicity, 1990-2006

Birth

Volumn 38, Issue 1, 2011, Pages 17-23

  MacDorman, Marian F ^a   Declercq, Eugene ^b   Menacker, Fay ^c  

^a NATIONAL CENTER FOR HEALTH STATISTICS   (United States)

^b BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH   (United States)

^c SOCIAL AND SCIENTIFIC SYSTEMS INC   (United States)

Author keywords

Birth certificate; Home birth; Out of hospital birth; Race and ethnic differences

Indexed keywords

ADULT; AFRICAN AMERICAN; ARTICLE; ATTITUDE TO HEALTH; BIRTH RATE; CAUCASIAN; COMPARATIVE STUDY; ETHNIC GROUP; ETHNOLOGY; FEMALE; HISPANIC; HOME DELIVERY; HUMAN; PREGNANCY; PREGNANCY OUTCOME; RETROSPECTIVE STUDY; STATISTICS; UNITED STATES; WOMEN'S HEALTH;

ADULT; AFRICAN AMERICANS; ATTITUDE TO HEALTH; BIRTH RATE; ETHNIC GROUPS; EUROPEAN CONTINENTAL ANCESTRY GROUP; FEMALE; HISPANIC AMERICANS; HOME CHILDBIRTH; HUMANS; PREGNANCY; PREGNANCY OUTCOME; RETROSPECTIVE STUDIES; UNITED STATES; WOMEN'S HEALTH; YOUNG ADULT;

EID: 79951791618     PISSN: 07307659     EISSN: 1523536X     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-536X.2010.00444.x     Document Type: Article

References (31)

1. Wertz RW, Wertz DC. Lying-in: A History of Childbirth in America. New York: Schocken Books, 1977.
2. Curtin SC, Park MM. Trends in the Attendant, Place and Timing of Births, and in the Use of Obstetric Interventions: United States, 1989-97. National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol. 47, No. 27. Hyattsville, Maryland: National Center for Health Statistics, 1999.
3. National Center for Health Statistics. Vital Statistics of the United States, 1993, Vol. 1, Natality. Hyattsville, Maryland: Author, 1999.
4. Martin JA, Hamilton BE, Sutton PD, et al. Births: Final Data for 2006. National Vital Statistics Reports; Vol. 57, No. 7. Hyattsville, Maryland: National Center for Health Statistics, 2009.
5. MacDorman MF, Menacker F, Declercq E Trends and Characteristics of Home and Other Out-of-Hospital Births in the United States, 1990-2006. National Vital Statistics Reports; Vol. 58, No. 11. Hyattsville, Maryland: National Center for Health Statistics, 2010.
6. Declercq E, MacDorman MF, Menacker F, Stotland N Characteristics of planned and unplanned home births, 19 states, 2006. Obstet Gynecol 2010;116:93-99.
7. National Center for Health Statistics. Vital Statistics Data Available Online: Birth Data Files. Accessed September 13, 2010. Available at:
8. Midwives Alliance of North America, North American Registry of Midwives, Midwifery Education Accreditation Council, and National Association of Certified Professional Midwives. Certified Professional Midwives in the United States. Issue Brief, June 2008. Accessed September 13, 2010. Available at:
9. Nolan M. Freebirthing: Why on earth would women choose it? Pract Midwife 2008;11:16-18.
10. Showalter A. Birthing among the Amish. Int J Childbirth Educ 2000;15:10-11.
11. Midwives Alliance of North America. Direct-Entry Midwifery State-by-State Legal Status. Accessed September 13, 2010. Available at:
12. Declercq ER, Stotland N. Home birth. In: Rose BD, ed. UpToDate. Waltham, Massachusetts, 2009. Accessed September 13, 2010. Available at:
13. Boucher D, Bennett C, McFarlin B, Freeze R. Staying home to give birth: Why women in the United States choose home birth. J Midwifery Womens Health 2009;54:119-126.
14. Wesson N. Home Birth: A Practical Guide. London: Pinter and Martin, 2006.
15. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. ACOG Statement of Policy as Issued by the ACOG Executive Board. Home Births in the United States. Washington, DC: Author, 2007.
16. American Medical Association House of Delegates. Resolution: 205 (A-08). Home Deliveries, April 28, 2008.
17. World Health Organization. Care in Normal Birth: A Practical Guide. Geneva, Switzerland: Department of Reproductive Health and Research, World Health Organization, 1996. Accessed September 13, 2010. Available at:
18. World Health Organization. Making a Difference in Countries: Strategic Approach to Improving Maternal and Newborn Survival and Health: Ensuring Skilled Care for Every Birth. Geneva, Switzerland: Department of Making Pregnancy Safer, World Health Organization, 2006. Accessed September 13, 2010. Available at:
19. American College of Nurse-Midwives. Position Statement on Home Birth. Washington, DC: Author, 2005.
20. American Public Health Association. Increasing Access to Out-of-Hospital Maternity Care Services Through State-Regulated and Nationally-Certified Direct-Entry Midwives. APHA Policy Statement #20013, January 1, 2001.
21. Fullerton JT, Navarro AM, Young SH. Outcomes of planned home birth: An integrative review. J Midwifery Womens Health 2007;52:323-333.
22. Stotland NE, Declercq ER. Safety of out-of-hospital birth in industrialized nations: A review. Curr Probl Obstet Gynecol Fertil 2002;25:134-144.
23. Olsen O. Meta-analysis of the safety of home birth. Birth 1997;24:4-11.
24. Johnson KC, Daviss BA. Outcomes of planned home births with certified professional midwives: Large prospective study in North America. BMJ 2005;330:1416.
25. Lindgren HE, Radestad IJ, Christensson K, Hildingsson IM. Outcome of planned home births compared to hospital births in Sweden between 1992 and 2004: A population-based register study. Acta Obstet Gynecol 2008;87:751-759.
26. de Jonge A, van der Goes BY, Ravelli ACJ, et al. Perinatal mortality and morbidity in a nationwide cohort of 529, 688 low-risk planned home and hospital births. BJOG 2009;116:1177-1184.
27. Mori R, Dougherty M, Whittle M. An estimation of intrapartum-related mortality rates for booked home births in England and Wales between 1992 and 2003. BJOG 2008;115:554-559.
28. EURO-PERISTAT Project, with SCPE, EUROCAT, EURONEOSTAT. European Perinatal Health Report-Data from 2004, 2008. Accessed September 13, 2010. Available at:
29. Office for National Statistics. Birth Statistics. Review of the National Statistician on Births and Patterns of Family Building in England and Wales, 2008, Series FM1 No. 37. Newport, South Wales: Author, 2010.
30. New Zealand Health Information Service. Report on Maternity: Maternal and Newborn Information. New Zealand Ministry of Health, Wellington, New Zealand: Author, 2007.
31. Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Royal College of Midwives. Home Births. Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Royal College of Midwives Joint Statement No. 2. London, England: Author, 2007.