Home births are cheaper than hospital for the NHS: research

Home births are around £300 cheaper to provide than hospital deliveries for women at low risk of complications, it was found. For women who'd had previous children, planned birth in an obstetric unit was the most expensive option at £1,142 per woman, with planned birth at home the cheapest at £780 per woman. But for first time mothers, even those assessed as at low risk of complications, there were more problems for the baby if they gave birth at home compared with a delivery in an hospital with obstetricians, a study published in the British Medical Journal found. They were up to three times more likely to suffer a stillbirth, birth injury to the child including broken bones, brain damage and respiratory problems associated with stress during birth.

The Telegraph 20/4/12

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