Planned Home Birth in Ireland Audit
National Perinatal Epidemiology Centre, Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 5th Floor, Cork University Maternity Hospital, Wilton, Cork.
2012
The purpose of the audit is to examine both the maternal and fetal outcomes of planned home births, including outcomes whereby the care of the woman is transferred for hospital care in the antenatal period, during labour or the postnatal period.
National coverage: all planned births with the HSE home birth service are recorded.
Data is collected on an annual basis starting on the 1st of January and finishing on the 31st of December.
Self Employed Community Midwives (SECMs) in Ireland provide a home birth service on behalf of the Health Service Executive (HSE). Maternity records of midwifery care provided are sent by the SECM to the Designated Midwifery Officer (DMO) in their respective HSE area. The DMO reviews the maternity records then collates the data using a standardised audit tool.
Maternity care staff, neonatal staff, unit co-ordinators, hospital senior management, hospital risk management, policy develops in the HSE, DOH staff, service users. Academics working in research institutions and employees undertaking research in national and international agencies
Women’s demographics; Previous medical and obstetric history Medical and obstetric details for the current pregnancy; Birth details, Delivery details, Maternal and infant outcomes.
Available on request from npec@ucc.ie
No .
Ethnic group, occupation, social capital, gender.
Data is collected by the SECM and sent to the DMO in their respective HSE area. After reviewing the maternity records, the DMOs collates the data using a standardised audit tool and data is uploaded to the electronic register hosted by the NPEC or is forwarded to the National Perinatal Epidemiology Centre (NPEC) for analysis.
Data is submitted on the secure online NPEC database on an annual basis.
Not in use.
250 records created on average nationally. In 2018, 231 women planned to give birth at home, in 2019, 272 infants and in 2020 345 women planned to give birth at home.
Every 12-18 months.
NPEC have a data access policy. Applicants must complete a data request form which is reviewed by a data access committee.
https://www.ucc.ie/en/npec/dataaccesscommittee/dataaccesscommittee/
No.