HOSPITAL DELIVERIES AGAINST HOME DELIVERIES

Home delivery is a type of birth that takes place in a residence rather than in a hospital or a birthing Centre, they may be attended to by a midwife or traditional birth attendant with experience in managing home births. Most pregnant women who choose to have home birth deliver without problems but research has shown that, planned home births are associated with a higher rates of infant death, seizures and nervous system disorder than planned hospital deliveries. Unlike home deliveries, hospital births takes place in the hospital or a birthing center. Hospital deliveries are safer due the close monitoring and assistant by a team of health practitioners who are always there, if an emergency should occur.

 The lady in the picture above is Mrs Hannatu Abubakar from the Rafin Guza community in the northern region of Kaduna, Nigeria. She is a mother who had a home delivery, unfortunately she lost the child due to prolonged labour with no help from a midwife or traditional birth attendant. After the loss of the child, she had the opportunity to attend series of sensitization programs on the importance of antenatal care (ANC) and hospital births, organized by FAROF. She now has two children, all from hospital births.

In her testimony, it was gathered that FAROF played a vital role in encouraging ANC and also supporting her with free delivery kits, for a safe delivery, she opted for antenatal care and hospital birth without hesitation. Based on her experience with hospital delivery, she is encouraging women to opt for antenatal care and hospital births, so as to have the health status of both mother and child closely monitored.

her story available at : https://youtu.be/AJZNfHuXOfA

In conclusion, to promote safe deliveries and minimize complications and the rate of maternal and infant mortality, regular antenatal care and hospital birth is advised.

An Article by Diana Sarki