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Women should be given more birth choices

Posted on: Friday, 23 June 2006, 21:58 CDT

LONDON (Reuters) - Women should be given choice over where they give birth to allow labor to be as normal as possible, according to proposals from Britain's health guidance watchdog on Friday.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) said women should be allowed to decide whether they want to give birth at home, in hospital or at specialist midwife units and given more information to help them make that decision.

"Our primary concern is to make birth as normal as possible by reducing unnecessary medical interventions whilst ensuring that babies and their mothers are as safe as possible during and shortly after birth," said NICE's Deputy Chief Executive, Andrea Sutcliffe.

The government is aiming to give pregnant women a full range of choices by 2009 but critics say the system is too inflexible and that most end up giving birth in hospitals.

The National Childcare Trust said currently just over 2 percent of women gave birth at home and many did not get balanced information about the various risks.

The Royal College of Midwives also said there was a shortage of midwives and that specialist units were being closed because of financial problems.

"Women are entitled to have the best quality advice," Health Minister Ivan Lewis told BBC radio. "We have to trust and respect women, give them the information and allow them to make the best choice for themselves."

Source: REUTERS

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