Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Midwife Statistics

  • Percent of countries providing universal prenatal care that have lower infant mortality rates than the US: 100%
  • Percent of US births attended by midwives: 4%
  • Percent of European births attended by midwives: 75%
  • Number of European countries with higher perinatal mortality rates than the US: Zero
  • Average cost of midwife-attended birth in the US: $1,200
  • Average cost of physician-attended birth in US: $4,200
  • Health care cost savings if midwifery care were utilized for 75% of US births: $8.5 billion/year
  • Health care cost savings by bringing US cesarean section rate into compliance with WHO recommendations: $1.5 billion/year
  • Health care cost savings by extending midwifery care and demedicalizing births in the US: $13-20 billion/year

From the book Baby Catcher: Chronicles of a Modern Midwife by Peggy Vincent

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