Critical appraisal of domiciliary obstetric and neonatal practice

Abstract

Obstetric and neonatal data on 155 domiciliary deliveries were analysed. The findings illustrated the problems in adhering to generally recognised risk criteria for selecting cases for domiciliary confinement and the unpredictability of events in the newborn period. Awareness of the risks of home confinement have led to increased efforts to achieve 100% hospital delivery. At the West Middlesex Hospital, to make hospital confinement more acceptable to mothers, we have tried to alter inflexible hospital routines and to make previously austere labour wards less impersonal. The same midwife who has supervised the antenatal period brings the mother into the unit, and transfers her home as soon as possible afterwards..