Neonatal Outcomes After Delivery in Water

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Perinatal Medicine
• Maternal-Fetal Medicine

Background:

• Water birth is an alternative birthing method gaining popularity.
• Evidence comparing neonatal outcomes between water and land births is evolving.
• Understanding NICU admission rates is crucial for assessing birth safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admissions and outcomes between water birth and land birth.
• To evaluate the safety of water immersion during labor and delivery for low-risk pregnancies.
• To provide data on NICU admission rates across different birth locations: land-land, water-land, and water-water.

Main Methods:

• Prospective observational study of 2,077 low-risk parturients from April 2015 to December 2019.
• Participants were categorized into land-land, water-land, and water-water delivery groups.
• Primary outcome measured was admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Main Results:

• NICU admission rates were 2.8% for land-land, 4.1% for water-land, and 2.0% for water-water deliveries.
• No statistically significant difference in NICU admissions was observed between the groups.
• A post hoc analysis indicated 70% power to detect a 2.1% difference between water-land and water-water groups.

Conclusions:

• Water birth and land birth are associated with similar NICU admission rates in low-risk pregnancies.
• The findings suggest that water immersion during labor and delivery is a safe option for this population.
• Further research may explore specific subgroups or potential benefits of water immersion.