What are the possible risks of a planned home birth?

While most pregnant women who choose to have planned home births deliver without complications, research suggests that planned home births are associated with a higher risk of infant death and seizures than are planned hospital births.

There are several factors that might reduce the risks of these complications, including having:

• Assistance from a certified nurse-midwife
• Access to a practicing obstetric doctor
• A plan for emergency transport to the nearest hospital