Home birth with certified nurse-midwife attendants in the United States. An overview

Abstract

The move of the birth site from home to hospital in the United States from 1800 through the early part of the 20th Century is described. The reemergence of home birth in the United States since the early 1960s and the evolution of nurse-midwifery care in the home birth setting are discussed. Misconceptions regarding home birth and a review of international literature documenting the safety of home birth are included. The need for prospective research on home birth is supported. A Home Birth Curriculum Guide developed by the Home Birth Committee of the American College of Nurse-Midwives is provided.