By MAMAMIA NEWS
Between 2007 and 2013, four babies died during home births.
According to the coroner, each of these deaths was preventable. And each of them had something else in common; they were presided over by former midwife turned home birth advocate Lisa Barrett.
A home birth is a conscious decision on the part of the mother to hold a birth in a non-clinical setting, often using ‘natural childbirth’ methods in place of pain relief drugs. They are typically attended by midwifes, who specialise in this field – without any doctors or specialised medical equipment that can only be found in hospitals.
And they are only recommended for standard low-risk pregnancies – not for multiple births, breech births, births in which the mother is older or the baby is premature or overdue. And not when the mother has a history of complicated previous births requiring high level medical assistance such as a caesarean.
For the most part, homebirths occur without any drama. But sometimes they do not. These four cases were situations where things went horribly, tragically wrong.
Barrett moved to Australia with her family in 2002 from the UK and was in charge of the Ashmore maternity unit in South Australia. However, after gaining her visa, Ms Barrett began practicing home births. On her website called “Homebirth: A Midwife Mutiny” Lisa Barrett (who admits she is not in fact a midwife but a ‘birth advocate’) states, “I am experienced in all types of birth and this includes birthing at home with babies in a breech position, twins and birth after caesarean.”
In 2012, Anthony Schapel, a South Australian coroner revealed that all four of these children’s deaths ‘could and should have been prevented’.
Meaning these babies could and should have survived had their mothers agreed to undergo a caesarian – or had they opted to give birth in a hospital as opposed to a home birth with one unregistered midwife.
At the time, Ms. Barrett informed the coroner that she had withdrawn her midwifery registration, and had opted to act only as a birth advocate. However in January of this year she was linked to a 5th homebirth death.
Following the inquest Mr. Schapel recommended stricter guidelines to stop unregistered midwives delivering babies, and higher public education into the risks of homebirth.
In February this year the police investigated Ms. Barrett, however no criminal charges were laid because there was no likely prospect of a conviction.
However, Ms Barrett is now facing professional misconduct allegations by the Nursing and Midwifery board, which could see her banned from practicing and fined up to $30,000.
The board told the Health Practitioners Tribunal Ms. Barrett “demonstrated knowledge, skill and judgment and provided care and advice which were substantially below the standard reasonably expected of registered midwives of her level of training or experience” and “inappropriately planned” the births.
A two-day hearing involving the midwifery board and Ms. Barrett has been scheduled for December.
Fact: Birth is natural, but it is risky.
Just last year 36-year-old Caroline Lovell died whilst giving birth to her second child at home.
One midwife cannot provide the same level of support as a hospital can. One midwife may not have the medical training or expertise to provide help when things go horribly – sometimes fatally – wrong.
At Mamamia, we respect women’s autonomy – and along with that women’s rights to make their own decisions. What we don’t respect or condone is misinformation online or elsewhere (Ms Barrett holds regular ‘homebirth coffee meetings‘ where pregnant couples are encouraged to come along and ask her questions about homebirth) that misleads women to think that a homebirth will be the safest, most comfortable option for them and their child – regardless of their specific case – when in fact the consequences can be devastating.
What we don’t respect or condone is people such as Lisa Barrett who are not qualified to oversee births, becoming ‘birth advocates’, and in the process providing information that may cost the lives of babies and traumatise families forever.
The loophole that allows unregistered midwives to deliver babies at home needs to be closed.
What do you think about the inquiry into Lisa Barrett’s conduct? Do we need to be more proactive, and make sure that the people who offer advice during birth are fully qualified? If you have had or ever considered a homebirth, has the Coroner’s damning findings changed your mind?
Top Comments
I wonder if anyone has had the experience of giving birth in a "Birth Centre" within their local hospital. I have, with all 3 of my children and each time have found it to be an amazing experience. What led me to a Birth Centre was the fact that I knew i wanted minimal intervention, wasn't interested in having a dedicated OBGYN, but preferred the more personal care of a small team of midwives with whom I attended my appts and all of my pregnancies were low risk. So while all of my needs were being met when it came to the delivery, I knew that should anything go wrong, I was in the right place to receive emergency care - right across the hall in the labour ward. To be honest I would recommend anyone with a "low risk pregnancy" ask if their local hospital offers a Birth Centre and see if it's the right fit for them.
Sharyn - that seems like the perfect compromise - best of both worlds.
I've had 4 children, one died just after birth in a hospital, and two of the others and their mother would have died in a home birth situation.
There's a good reason to have babies in hospitals.
Your wife and children don't die.
It ain't rocket science
I'm a midwife who works in hospitals. Mothers and babies die whilst birthing in hospitals regularly, it just doesn't get reported in the media. The public don't want to hear these stories so the media doesn't tell them. The public love to hear about home births gone wrong so the media reports those stories. The public doesn't want to hear all the facts on birth, just the ones that reinforce their own opinion. It's sad.
Mothers and babies don't die in Australian hospitals 'regularly' what a load of crap, maternal and infant death is quite rare in Australia due to guess what? Our advanced MEDICAL system. I don't believe you are a midwife.
Do you know the facts Claire? More than 2000 babies are stillborn in Australia every year! That doesn't include babies before 20 weeks, after birth infant deaths also. Add all those together and the numbers are high! And they haven't fallen in years. And mothers dying from childbirth although rarer than infant death does happen. Please don't discard actually tragedies that occur everyday.
The numbers are not high Lucie they equate to around 7 in 1000 births which is pushed up by high rates of Indigenous stillbirth, even with with that in mind we have among the lowest rates in the world for stillbirth and most stillbirths are not late term ( post 37 weeks) and often have to do with genetic issues or maternal infection, nothing to do with the hospital where that mother did or did not give birth. And the rates have fallen by 25% since 1995. Maternal death is around 1 in 100 000 births, so not regular at all. I am not discounting that these stats are heartbreaking because any maternal or infant death is but to miseducate women and scare them into thinking that babies and mothers are dying in Australian hospitals ALL THE TIME is really irresponsible. Home birth is less safe than hospital birth which is not risk free either but less risky overall.