Home birth in Romania - a retrospective study.

Introduction. Despite the fact that home birth is considered a physiological process, specialized medical authorities recommend that birth should be attended by a medical specialist in an authorized facility, in order to avoid possible maternal and fetal complications. Materials and method. The paper presents a retrospective study of the women who delivered at home and were admitted afterwards in the First or Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the "Pius Brînzeu" Emergency Clinical County Hospital, Timişoara. Results. None of the births were attended by a medical specialist. The complications, as well as the evolution of the cases were presented. Discussion. A short review of the Romanian legislation in relation to home birth practice, as well as an analysis of the potential repercussions associated to juridical responsibility of the involved medical personnel, and how home birth is perceived through the eyes of law in other countries were made. Conclusions. Natural childbirth can have a lot of repercussions on the maternal and fetal wellbeing, as a result it is highly recommended for pregnant women to be assisted by specialized personnel in authorized legal locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]