Abstract
Background and Objectives: The Ministry of Health and Medical Education has assigned the course of home birth in the curricula of midwifery educational programs in order to improve care of mothers during childbearings. However, the rate of planned home births at rural areas of East-Azerbaijan has been 22/9% and in the urban regions has not been known. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the attitudes of midwives, midwifery students, pregnant and new parturient women to home birth.
Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive- comparative study which determined the attitudes of 721 subjects, included 91 midwives occupied in Medical Health Centers, 80 midwifery students who had passed home birth course, 550 pregnant or new parturient women registered in health care and had record in Medical Health Centers. Total population of midwives and midwifery students were chosen as samples and women were selected through cluster sampling. A questionnaire was used for data gathering. Descriptive statistics (frequencies, mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (chi square and Fisher Test) were used for data analysis.
Results: The study showed that 54.6% out of midwives, 65.8% out of midwifery students and 13.7% out of women agreed with home as a suitable place for confinement. The majority of subjects believed that giving birth in hospital were safer than at home. The comparison of three groups on the advantage and disadvantage of home birth showed statistically significant difference in 16 statements (15 statements with p<0.0001 and 1 statement with p<0.005) and no significant difference in 1 statement (p>0.05) of questionnaire.
Conclusion: Based upon the results of this study it can be concluded that further information is necessary for women to make a free and informed choice of birthplace. Therefore, midwives and midwifery students should be knowledgeable about home birth. Besides, the Ministry of Health and Medical Education should provide home birth facilities and equipments.