More and more pregnant people are planning births outside of hospitals, but at what risk?

A recent study led by Ph.D. in Epidemiology candidate Marion Granger Howard and published in JAMA Pediatrics compared the health outcomes of planned hospital births vs. planned community births (i.e., births that were intended to take place at home or at a birthing center). The researchers found that individuals who planned community births and actually delivered in those settings experienced lower risks of adverse health outcomes. However, those who planned community births at the onset of labor but then transferred to a hospital had increased odds of medical interventions and negative outcomes.