HONOLULU (KHON2) — The Hawaiʻi Home Birth Task Force started on April 30, 2019, to look into home births and how to support moms who choose to give birth at home.
This group was created by a law called Act 32. The task force includes 12 members, including doctors, midwives (who help women give birth) and people who have used home birth services.
Their job is to find out how to make home births safe and make sure moms and babies are healthy.
The task force
Imagine a team of superheroes; but instead of fighting villains, they help moms and babies. Leading this team is Kristie Duarte, a public member who has experienced home birth.
Her vice chair is Tara Compehos, a traditional midwife who knows all about cultural and spiritual birth practices.
This team also includes representatives from the Department of Health, healthcare associations, and midwives from all over the Hawaii islands.
Kristie Duarte, the chair of the task force, emphasized the importance of supporting all types of midwives.
“It’s crucial that we provide opportunities for both licensed and traditional midwives to continue their important work,” explained Duarte. “This helps ensure that mothers have the support they need, no matter where they choose to give birth.”
For five months, the task force diligently worked to learn everything they could about home births. They focused on three main areas to understand the data.
First, they collected data. They wanted to know how many babies are born at home compared to hospitals and what happens during these births.
Next, they looked at education and training. They wanted to ensure midwives had the best knowledge and skills to help with home births.
Lastly, they worked on regulations, which means making rules to ensure everything is safe and organized.
“Traditional midwives offer valuable cultural and spiritual support that many families find comforting and essential,” added Compehos. “It’s important that we recognize and respect these practices.”
Findings and recommendations
In 2017, there were 17,145 births in Hawaiʻi; and of these, there were 1.72% that happened at home.
In 2018, there were 16,649 births, with 1.77% at home. Sometimes, babies born at home need to be moved to the hospital. This happened in 1.3% of home births in 2017 and 2.3% in 2018.
The great news is that there were no deaths of moms or babies in planned home births during these years.
The task force discovered that the data from home births and hospital births were very similar. This shows that home births can be just as safe as hospital births.
Matthew Shim from the Department of Health highlighted the safety of home births.
“Our data shows that planned home births can be just as safe as hospital births when proper support and training are provided to midwives,” stated Shim.
They also recommended collecting more detailed information to understand better why some home births need to be transferred to hospitals.
The task force learned that there are different types of midwives. Direct Entry Midwives (DEMs) are trained to help with home births but don’t have a nursing degree. They can become Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) by passing exams and getting experience.
Then there are Traditional Midwives, who use cultural and spiritual practices. The task force believes that these traditional midwives should be allowed to continue their work without needing a state license.
They suggested changes to the law to make it easier for midwives to get the education they need and to practice legally. This way, midwives can help more moms safely have their babies at home.
Education and training of midwives:
Direct Entry Midwives (DEMs): These are midwives who don’t have a nursing degree but are trained to help with home births. They can become Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) by passing exams and getting experience.
Traditional Midwives: These midwives use cultural and spiritual practices to help with births. They should be allowed to continue their work without needing a state license.
The task force suggests changes to the law to make it easier for midwives to get the education they need and to practice legally.
Regulation of midwives:
Use of the Title “Midwife”: Both licensed and traditional midwives should be able to use the term “midwife.”
Training and Emergency Access: Midwives should be trained in emergency skills and have access to important medicines and tools to help moms and babies if there are problems during birth.
The task force recommends providing training in using emergency medications and tools for all midwives, especially those in remote areas where it can take a long time to get to a hospital.
The Hawaiʻi Home Birth Task Force worked hard to understand and support home births. They found that home births can be safe and recommended ways to make them even safer. By providing more education for midwives, collecting better data, and ensuring access to emergency care, they aim to make home births a good option for families in Hawaiʻi. Their work will help moms have healthy babies whether they choose to give birth at home or in a hospital.