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Home births a lonelier option due to midwife insurance risk<\/b><\/a><\/font>
11\/07\/2010<\/i><\/font>
The Sydney Morning Herald<\/i><\/font>
HOME birth midwives have been left out of the federal government\'s maternity care changes in an omission experts believe will lead to an increase in the potentially dangerous practice of unassisted childbirth.

The changes, introduced this month, require midwives to have indemnity insurance to practise under the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme but private midwives are not covered for home deliveries.<\/font><\/td><\/tr>

Greens will act to help midwives<\/b><\/a><\/font>
24\/07\/10<\/i><\/font>
The Australian Greens<\/i><\/font>
The Australian Greens said today that midwives are furious with the Federal Government over recently released regulations governing the way they practice.
Greens spokesperson for Health, Senator Rachel Siewert has committed to immediate action on the regulations upon the resumption of Parliament.<\/font><\/td><\/tr>

Senate passes controversial birth bill<\/b><\/a><\/font>
16\/03\/10<\/i><\/font>
Herald Sun<\/i><\/font>
MIDWIVES will be able to provide Medicare-funded care for the first time under a dramatic but controversial reform passed by parliament.
Coalition senators - previously opposed to changes fear it would drive homebirthing underground - lay down their opposition on Tuesday to allow the draft laws to pass.

But while the government was lauding the backflip as a major coup, homebirthing advocates were still venting their fury at the laws they say strip expectant mums of basic rights. <\/font><\/td><\/tr>

More on the homebirth study fracas - some indepth reading<\/b><\/a><\/font>
2\/3\/10<\/i><\/font>
Croakey: The Crikey Health Blog<\/i><\/font>
Regular readers may remember there was some vigorous discussion at Croakey earlier this year after a SA study comparing the outcomes for homebirths and hospital births generated misleading headlines.
Below are three sets of comments that helped inform the BMJ and Crikey articles. Firstly an email comment from Drs Steven Woloshin and Lisa Schwartz from the Center for Medicine and the Media at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice in New Hampshire. They are international leaders in efforts to improve media coverage of health and medicine.

Secondly, an e-interview with University of Minnesota journalism academic Associate Professor Gary Schwitzer, blogger and publisher of HealthNewsReview.

Finally, there is also a detailed analysis of the SA study by Dr Andrew Bisits, an obstetrician and epidemiologist, which reinforces some of the concerns raised about how the findings were reported in the press release, editorial and media.<\/font><\/td><\/tr>

The AMA says we are "shooting the messenger" re homebirth critique<\/b><\/a><\/font>
21\/01\/10<\/i><\/font>
Croakey<\/i><\/font>
Further to the posts below on the homebirth study, the AMA has sought right of reply.

Dr Andrew Pesce, for those who haven’t been following the story thus far, is the president of the AMA (which opposes homebirth), an obestetrician and gynaecologist, one of the reviewers of the new study, and also the author of the MJA editorial on the study.<\/font><\/td><\/tr>

That Homebirth Study in South Australia<\/b><\/a><\/font>
16\/01\/2010<\/i><\/font>
Hoyden About Town<\/i><\/font>
You’re going to be hearing a lot from the Australian Medical Association about That Homebirth Study In South Australia, so here are a few actual facts to be getting along with in the meantime.
Perinatal deaths were the same: 2440 (8.2\/1000) in planned hospital births, and 9 (7.9\/1000) in planned home births. Seven of those nine “homebirth” perinatal deaths were in born in hospital. <\/font><\/td><\/tr>

Homebirth \'more risky\' than hospital delivery<\/b><\/a><\/font>
17\/01\/10<\/i><\/font>
Courier Mail<\/i><\/font>
THE Federal Government has been urged to push on with its plans to tighten homebirth laws, after a new study found the practice to be more risky than conventional hospital deliveries.<\/font><\/td><\/tr>

Overdue NSW woman gets police check up<\/b><\/a><\/font>
16\/1\/10<\/i><\/font>
The Daily Telegraph<\/i><\/font>
A HOSPITAL that wants a mother to have her baby induced sent police to her home after she failed to keep an appointment yesterday.
Rochelle Allan, who is reluctant to be induced even though her baby is 12 days overdue, was told by the hospital they intended to go ahead with the procedure when she came in.

But after speaking to her midwife following a visit to the hospital the day before, and being assured her baby was fine, she decided not to attend the hospital the next day.

Now Ms Allan is furious after the two police officers arrived on her doorstep after they were called by Bathurst Hospital.

Wanting a home birth, Ms Allan, 24, has been under the care of a private midwife and had been attending the hospital daily to monitor the baby\'s health.<\/font><\/td><\/tr>

Home birth program that delivers<\/b><\/a><\/font>
12\/01\/10<\/i><\/font>
The Sydney Morning Herald<\/i><\/font>
Bailey, from Oyster Bay in Sydney\'s south, is one of a handful born at home under the guidance of midwives from St George Hospital, which runs the first publicly funded scheme of its kind in NSW. But his birth has already been hailed a success story.<\/font><\/td><\/tr>

Home-birth boost for expectant mothers<\/b><\/a><\/font>
23\/12\/09<\/i><\/font>
The Age<\/i><\/font>
VICTORIAN women will be able to give birth at home - with hospital back-up for the first time - under a pilot project starting at three hospitals next year.

Health Minister Daniel Andrews said yesterday that the State Government had allocated $400,000 for midwife-led home births through Casey Hospital in Berwick and Sunshine Hospital in Melbourne\'s west. A regional health service will also participate, but the Government has yet to decide which one.

Mr Andrews said midwives employed in the one-year projects would be covered by their hospital\'s insurance, and that women participating would have a midwife care for them throughout their pregnancy, with several back-up midwives available if their primary carer was sick or unavailable when they went into labour.<\/font><\/td><\/tr>

Government backflip on midwives<\/b><\/a><\/font>
14\/12\/2009<\/i><\/font>
Australia.to World News<\/i><\/font>
Family First Leader Senator Steve Fielding has welcomed the decision by the Health Minister to back down on its controversial plan to drive homebirths underground.
...now the government says it won’t force midwives to work in formal collaborative arrangements with doctors as a condition of insurance.
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Pro-homebirth rally held in Canberra<\/b><\/a><\/font>
07\/09\/2009<\/i><\/font>
Brisbane Times<\/i><\/font>
More than 2,000 mothers and children have gathered in the rain outside Canberra\'s Parliament House to protest against federal government plans that would see homebirthing effectively made illegal.<\/font><\/td><\/tr>

Homebirth Rally - Canberra<\/b><\/a><\/font>
07\/09\/2009<\/i><\/font>
You Tube - Rachel Siewert<\/i><\/font>
Video footage of Senator Rachel Siewert speaking at the homebirth rally at Parliament House, Canberra. <\/font><\/td><\/tr>

Roxon backs down on homebirth law<\/b><\/a><\/font>
04\/09\/2009<\/i><\/font>
News.com.au<\/i><\/font>
"THE Federal Government has backed down on controversial legislation that would have seen homebirthing effectively made illegal.
...But following a meeting of state and territory health minister\'s in Canberra today, federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon announced a two year exemption from holding indemnity insurance for privately practising midwives who can\'t obtain cover for attending a homebirth.

To take advantage of the exemption, homebirthing midwives will be required to tell women they are not insured, report each homebirth they attend and participate in a quality and safety framework which will be developed after consultations led by the Victorian Government."<\/font><\/td><\/tr><\/table>');