Abstract

COLACIOPPO, Priscila Maria et al. Planned homebirth: maternal and neonatal outcomes. Rev. Enf. Ref. [online]. 2010, vol.serIII, n.2, pp.81-90. ISSN 0874-0283.

The hospitalization of all women in labour, in the interests of the safety and well-being of mother and baby introduced mechanical, impersonal and interventionist childbirth care, leading to seeing homebirth as an alternative for women seeking a natural approach during birth. The literature on the subject is scarce, justifying the production of data on homebirths. The aim was to describe the process and maternal and neonatal outcomes in planned homebirths. Data were collected from 70 births attended by midwives, in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The results indicated that 61.4% of women were 30 years old or more, 71.4% had higher education, 97.1% lived with a partner, 64.3% performed paid work, 54.3% were nulliparous, and the rate of maternal transfer to hospital was 5.7% due to complications in labour and 14.3% on request; 92.9% were normal deliveries, 63.6% chose vertical positions and 57.5% had an intact perineum or first-degree laceration, all newborns had Apgar scores = 7 at 5 minutes and one baby was transferred to the hospital due to cardiac arrhythmia. Judicious use of obstetrical and neonatal interventions in homebirths and scientific evidence about their safety can contribute to transformation of the current model of childbirth in Brazil.

Keywords : home childbirth; humanizing delivery; obstetrical nursing; social support.

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