Parents-to-be warned to consider risks of home births

Couples should be warned of the risks of home births, including the “silent tragedy” of long-term disability for their babies, experts have said.

While studies have shown an increased risk of a baby dying during a home birth, little has been said about the chance of disability — which can occur due to factors such as oxygen starvation, they argued.

The authors said deprivation of oxygen — hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) — can lead to cerebral palsy, and motor and cognitive problems that can be detected at school-age.