The AMA published a study in the Medical Journal of Australia which stated homebirths lead to a sevenfold increase in babies’ deaths during labour.
The study examined births and babies’ deaths in SA between 1991 and 2006.
Of 298,333 births there were 1141 recorded homebirths.
Nine deaths occurred among the homebirth group, but seven occurred in hospital after the mother had changed her mind against a homebirth or needed transferring.
Karana Downs mother Mary Wex said the report was very misleading
“Homebirths are safe and in other countries are quite the norm,” she said.
“You create the baby in the home and it’s nice to then deliver the baby in the home, just like we used to.”
Chuwar mother Chelsee Richardson said the AMA had an agenda and was trying to protect its doctors.
“The report is nonsense,” Mrs Richardson said.
“The AMA is trying to scaremonger and run their agendas because they do not want midwives performing home births alone.
“The AMA want a doctor to be present, when it is completely unnecessary and interferes in the whole purpose of a home birth.”
The controversial study also supported the Federal Government’s decision to not provide indemnity insurance and Medicare funding to midwives attending home births.
Mrs Richardson was one of several Ipswich mothers who travelled to Canberra recently to protest the Government’s decision.
The President of the National Association of Specialist Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (NASOG), Dr Hilary Joyce backed the study.
“One baby dying in labour is too many and this study confirms just how great the risk of having a birth outside a clinical setting can be,” Dr Joyce said.
AMA president Andrew Pesce said the study showed that homebirths were dangerous.
“The safety of mothers and babies must come first in any debate,” he said.