Women beginning labor under midwife supervision in primary care face a higher risk of infant mortality compared to those starting under a gynaecologist in secondary care, according to a large-scale UMC Utrecht study published in the British Medical Journal.
The infant mortality rate is elevated in these low-risk deliveries supervised by a midwife. Despite no complicating factors, the risk is 2.3 times higher than in high-risk births managed by a gynaecologist.
The risk escalates further for home births under midwife care requiring midway transfer to hospital, where infant mortality is 3.7 times higher than hospital-initiated labors.
Researchers analyzed nearly 38,000 births in the Utrecht region from 2007 to 2008.
Recommended Changes
UMC Utrecht experts call for reforms in four key areas: enhanced peripartum monitoring, improved emergency transport, seamless information sharing between providers, and refined risk assessments.
(Source: Gezondheidsnet.nl)
