“His methodology is deeply flawed”–new study on home birth

The New York Times, under the headline “Home Birth May Add a Wrinkle,” today describes a new study on home birth that claims it’s more dangerous for babies.

Despite that terrifying lead-in, the article notes that even “the lead author, urged caution in interpreting the results. ‘Since this comes primarily from non-U.S. data sources, particularly from places that have a very different midwifery model than we do, it’s limited,’ he said.”

That alone should be cause for concern; midwives quoted in the article raise further skepticism about its conclusions, however:

“Mary Lawlor, president of the National Association of Certified Professional Midwives, found the study defective. ‘His methodology is deeply flawed,’ she wrote in an e-mail message, accusing the authors of ‘obscuring important information about the safety of home birth and neonatal outcomes.'”

–Christina

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