Water births have no proven benefit and may even be dangerous, doctors have warned
Water births can be dangerous and even deadly – and should not be an everyday option, leading doctors have ruled.
New guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics and American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists state there is no evidence that giving birth under water is of any benefit to mother or baby.
Instead, it may be harmful, with reports of ‘rare but serious’ problems in newborns.
These include potentially lethal infections, serious haemorrhages and drownings.
The two medical bodies state that women should not routinely give birth in water – and the practice be limited to those taking part in medical studies.
Water births are increasingly popular in Britain, with most maternity units having at least one birthing pool.
Mothers-to-be can also hire pools if they are having a home birth.
Advocates claim the warm water eases the pain of a labour and can be especially beneficial for first-time mothers who may become particularly stressed.
Some women remain in the pool to give birth, with an underwater delivery said to provide the child with a more gentle entry into the world.
At least 1 in 100 women use a birthing pool at some point in labour and the Royal College of Midwives and Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists both say that all healthy women with uncomplicated pregnancies should have an option.
In contrast, the new U.S. guidelines are far more cautious.
The American experts in pregnancy and foetal health reviewed information about using a birthing pool to ease pain early in labour – and to actually give birth in.
They said results of studies have been mixed but using a pool early on may reduce the need for powerful painkillers and shorten labour.
Writing in the journal Pediatrics they said there have been even fewer studies into the pros and cons of staying in the pool for the second stage of labour, in which the baby is actually born.
New guidelines state that potential risks of underwater delivery include infection, difficulty regulating the baby's body temperature and respiratory distress if the baby inhales water
However, there are reports of infections from dirty water, serious bleeds, fits, breathing problems and near and actual drownings.
There are no firm figures but, in one study, 12 per cent of the babies delivered by water birth were admitted to special care baby units. None of the babies born normally were admitted.
The U.S. guidelines state: ‘The safety and efficacy of immersion in water during the second stage of labour has not been associated with maternal or foetal benefit.
Advocates claim the warm water eases the pain of a labour and can be especially beneficial for first-time mothers who may become particularly stressed
'Given these facts and case reports of rare but serious adverse effects in the newborn, the practice of immersion in the second stage of labour – underwater delivery – should be considered an experimental procedure that should only be performed within the context of an appropriately designed clinical trial with informed consent.’
They added that although use earlier in labour might help with pain, various precautions need to be taken to ensure it is safe.
Guideline co-author, Dr Jeffrey Ecker, of Harvard University, said that while he’s cared for many women who have been comforted by being surrounded by water early in labour, that is not the same as the baby being born underwater.
Dr Aaron Caughey, of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: ‘We want people to do more research.’
Linda Geddes, author of science of pregnancy book Bumpology, said: ‘Many women like the idea of giving birth in water and most British hospitals now have at least one birthing pool in their labour wards to enable this.
'Some studies have suggested that it reduces the need for epidural painkillers and slightly shortens the first stage of labour when women are having contractions, and it may also offer women a greater sense of control over their birth.
‘Although there's currently no good evidence to suggest that birthing in water is harmful for mum or baby, obstetricians in the U.S. cautious and want to see better quality studies done before they're convinced it really is safe.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2584760/Water-births-no-proven-benefit-dangerous-Study-highlights-risk-infection-breathing-problems-babies.html#ixzz2wXFePEqt
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