Women need clearer warnings on the dangers of home births, say experts

Women must be given clearer warnings on the potentially fatal dangers of giving birth at home and should only be aided by experienced midwives, experts have said.

- Andrew Gregory Health editor

Jennifer Cahill died after giving birth to her second child at home

Maternity services worldwide are seeing an increase in the number of women with more complex pregnancies. Many are choosing to have their babies in a familiar environment, in the comfort and privacy of their own home. Some choose a home birth because having their first baby in hospital was "deeply traumatic" and they are reluctant to repeat the experience.

But access to safe, reliable and unrestricted home birth services is patchy, and varies enormously depending on where people live, experts say. Healthcare services in many countries struggle to offer home births because of staffing shortages, inconsistent training or policy limitations. Some have dedicated home birth teams, while others rely on overstretched community staff.

The Guardian has spoken to leading doctors, academics and pregnancy experts about home births after a coroner's court in Rochdale ruled that a mother and daughter died after a home birth owing to "a gross failure to provide basic medical care".

Jennifer Cahill, 34, died at North Manchester general hospital hours after suffering a haemorrhage while giving birth at home in Prestwich on 3 June 2024. Her baby, Agnes Lily, was delivered not breathing, with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck. She died at the same hospital as her mother a few days later.

Manchester University NHS foundation trust has apologised and accepted there were "serious failures" in the care given to the mother and daughter.

In England and Wales, about one in 50 births take place at home. However, home births are recommended only for low-risk pregnancies. Cahill's pregnancy was considered high-risk because she had suffered a postpartum haemorrhage after giving birth to her first child in 2021.