Published online May 2, 2005
PEDIATRICS Vol. 115 No. 5 May 2005, pp. 1413-1414 (doi:10.1542/peds.2004-1738)
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COMMENTARY

Underwater Births

Committee on Fetus and Newborn, 2004–2005, Daniel G. Batton, MD, FAAP

Department of Pediatrics
William Beaumont Hospital
Royal Oak, MI 48073

Lillian R. Blackmon, MD, FAAP

Department of Pediatrics
Division of Neonatology
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Baltimore, MD 21201

David H. Adamkin, MD, FAAP

Department of Pediatrics
University of Louisville
Louisville, KY 40202

Edward F. Bell, MD, FAAP

Department of Pediatrics
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA 52242

Susan Ellen Denson, MD, FAAP

Department of Pediatrics-Neonatology
University of Texas
Houston, TX 77030

William Allan Engle, MD, FAAP

Department of Pediatrics
Indiana University Medical Center
Riley Hospital for Children
Indianapolis, IN 46202

Gilbert Ira Martin, MD, FAAP

Citrus Valley Medical Center
West Covina, CA 91790

Ann R. Stark, MD, FAAP

Department of Neonatology
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, TX 77030

Keith J. Barrington, MD

Department of Neonatology
Royal Victoria Hospital
Montreal, QC, Canada H3A 1A1

Tonse N.K. Raju, MD, DCH, FAAP

Pregnancy and Perinatology Branch
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, MD 20847

Laura Riley, MD

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, MA 02114

Kay Marie Tomashek, MD, MPH, FAAP

Maternal and Infant Health Branch
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Atlanta, GA 30333

Carol Wallman, MSN, RNC, NNP

National Association of Neonatal Nurses
Wellington, CO 80549

Jim Couto, MA

American Academy of Pediatrics
Division of Hospital and Surgical Services
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007

Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval • RCT, randomized, controlled trial • OR, odds ratio

The first 20% of the full text of this article appears below.

Throughout human existence, women have typically given birth to their offspring on land. Over the last 25 years, however, underwater birth has become more popular in certain parts of the world despite a paucity of data demonstrating that it is either beneficial or safe.1–22 Underwater birth occurs either intentionally or accidentally after water immersion for labor, a procedure promoted primarily as a means of decreasing maternal discomfort. A review of the available literature indicates that the risks of underwater birth to the newborn seem to outweigh the benefits, and caution is urged before widespread implementation.

Although there is no suggested benefit of underwater birth to the newborn, morbidities identified in clinical reports have raised concerns that this mode of delivery may not be safe. In 1983, Odent1 reported his experience with 100 consecutive deliveries. All mothers used water immersion during labor, but only a limited and unspecified number of births occurred under water. Two infants required positive-pressure support, but little additional data were provided. In 1995, Alderdice et al2 performed a retrospective survey of 4494 underwater deliveries by midwives in England and Wales. They reported . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Reprint requests to (D.G.B.) Department of Pediatrics, William Beaumont Hospital, 3601 W 13 Mile Rd, Royal Oak, MI 48073. E-mail: dgbatton@beaumont.edu




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S. Hess, D. Batton, and J. F. Lucey
Strong Opinions Versus Science in Water-Birth Controversy
Pediatrics, August 1, 2005; 116(2): 522 - 523.
[Full Text] [PDF]