More babies not born in hospitals

More than 1.3 percent of births (904 babies) in Minnesota in 2012 occurred outside of a hospital — mainly in homes and freestanding birth centers — up from 0.5 percent of births (366 babies) in 2004.

“As the numbers of freestanding birth centers and midwives providing planned home births continue to rise, women and families have more choices for safe and individualized maternity care,” said Kate Saumweber Hogan, certified professional midwife, licensed midwife, and member of the Minnesota Council of Certified Professional Midwives.

“The type of care midwives are trained to provide has been proven to reduce complications, interventions, birth injury, trauma, and cesarean section, while providing greater client satisfaction,” said Saumweber.

Births occur outside of hospitals more frequently in greater Minnesota than in the Twin Cities metro area. In 2012, 1.7 percent of babies born in greater Minnesota counties were born outside of hospitals, while one percent of babies in the seven-county metro area were born outside of hospitals, according to health department data.

Nationally, births outside of hospital settings have increased since 2004. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the percentage of births occurring outside of hospitals increased from about 0.9 percent of U.S. births in 2004 to about 1.4 percent of U.S. births in 2012, its highest level since 1975. In 2012, 53,635 births in the U.S. occurred outside of a hospital, including 35,184 home births and 15,577 births at birth centers.

Information provided by the nonprofit Minnesota Council of Certified Professional Midwives, which promotes, protects, and preserves midwifery as practiced by certified professional midwives in the state of Minnesota. The council is committed to safe maternity care provided in an out-of-hospital setting. For more info, visit www.minnesotamidwives.org.