"In the U.S. the national infant
mortality rate was 8.9 s per 1,000 live births [in 1991]. The worst
states were Delaware at 11.8, with the District of Columbia even
worse at 21.0. The best state was Vermont, with only 5.8. Vermont
also has one of the highest rates of home birth in the country as
well as a larger portion of midwife-attended births than most
states. " (Stewart, David, International Infant Mortality
Rates--U.S. in 22nd Place, NAPSAC News, Fall- Winter, 1993,
p.36)
"The international standing of the
U.S. [in terms of infant mortality rates] did not really begin to
fall until the mid-1950s. This correlates perfectly with the
founding of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist
(ACOG) in 1951. ACOG is a trade union representing the financial
and professional interests of obstetricians who has sought to
secure a monopoly in pregnancy and childbirth services. Prior to
ACOG, the U.S. always ranked in 10th place or better. Since the
mid-1950s the U.S. has consistently ranked below 12th place and
hasn't been above 16th place since 1975. The relative standing of
the U.S. continues to decline even to the present." (Stewart,
David, International Infant Mortality Rates--U.S. in 22nd Place,
NAPSAC News, Fall-Winter, 1993, p.38)
The Texas Department of Health's
own statistics show that midwives in Texas have a lower infant
mortality rate than physicians. (Texas Lay midwifery Program, Six
Year Report, 1983- 1989, Berstein & Bryant, Appendix Vlllf,
Texas Department of Health, I 100 West 49th St., Austin, TX
78756-3199.)
In the state of Oregon from
1975-1979, there were approximately 3-4 neonatals per 1000 births
in homebirths attended by midwives, as opposed to approximately
9-10 per 1000 births for all residents. The same figure indicates
approximately 5 infant s per 1000 births in homebirths attended by
midwives, as opposed to approximately 12 per 1000 births for all
residents. (Research Issues in the Assessment of Birth Settings,
Institute of Medicine, National Academy Press, Washington, 1982, p.
175)
"In The five European countries
with the lowest infant mortality rates, midwives preside at more
than 70 percent of all births. More than half of all Dutch babies
are born at home with midwives in attendance, and Holland's
maternal and infant mortality rates are far lower than in the
United States..." ("Midwives Still Hassled by Medical
Establishment," Caroline Hall Otis, Utne Reader, Nov./Dec. 1990,
pp. 32-34)
"Of the 3,189 midwife-assisted
deliveries studied, episiotomies were done on 5 percent of the
women, the Caesarean section rate varied from 2.2 percent to 8.1
percent, and perinatal mortality (the number of babies who die
during or shortly after birth) averaged 5.2 per 1,000. Compare
these numbers to those for New Mexico obstetricians and physicians
during the same period: nearly routine use of episiotomies in many
hospitals, a Caesarean rate that varied from 15 percent to 25
percent, and a perinatal mortality rate of 11.3 per 1,000. Looking
at these numbers, Rebecca Watson, the maternal-health program
manager at the New Mexico Department of Health commented, 'I
sometimes wonder why [we bother compiling statistics on midwives],
since their statistics are so much better than everyone else's. "
(Sharon Bloyd- Peshkin, Midwifery: Off to a Good Start, p. 69,
Vegetarian Times, December 1992)
Records kept from 1969-73 in
England and Wales indicate still birth rates of 4.5 per 1000 births
for home deliveries as opposed to 14.8 per 1000 births for hospital
deliveries. (The place of Birth, Sheila Kitzinger & John Davis,
eds., 1978
Oxford University Press, pp. 62-63)
'Mothering Magazine has calculated
that using midwifery care for 75% of the births in the U.S. would
save an estimated $8.5 billion per year." (Madrona, Lewis &
Morgaine, The Future of Midwifery in the United States, NAPSAC
News, Fall-Winter, 1993, p. 15 November 23, 1996 issue of the
British Medical Journal.)
"Our research has shown that, for
women with low risk pregnancies in the Netherlands, choosing to
give birth at home is a safe choice with an outcome that is at
least as good as that of planned hospital birth." (Ibid.
p.13)
"During delivery, the home birth
group needed significantly less medication and fewer interventions
whereas no differences were found in durations of labor, occurrence
of severe perineal lesions, and maternal loss." ("Home Versus
Hospital Deliveries: Follow Up Study of Matched Pairs for
Procedures and Outcome", p. 1)
"The mean Apgar score, five and 10
minute, babies in the planned home delivery group had higher
scores. [Over planned hospital delivery]" (Ibid. p. 8)
"There was no evidence that the
more liberal use of episiotomy in hospitals prevented severe
perineal lesions." (Ibid. p. 9)
"The lower rate of interventions
in home births meant a lower risk of subsequent complications for
the mother." (Ibid.)
