Planned homebirths in Western Australia 1981-1987: a descriptive study.

Abstract

Descriptive data on all 995 singleton planned homebirths in Western Australia from 1981 to 1987, including transfers to hospital, were collected from homebirth records and other sources. Data on singleton Caucasian births in Western Australia for the same years are also presented. The proportion of homebirths rose from 3.5 per 1000 to 7.9 per 1000 singleton births over the study period. Women who had planned homebirths were predominantly Caucasian, similar in parity and marital status but taller and slightly older. They were not all at low risk as some had had complications in previous pregnancies. Transfers to hospital (antenatal, intrapartum or postpartum) occurred in 24.6% of planned home..