Perinatal and maternal outcomes by planned place of birth for healthy women with low risk pregnancies: the Birthplace in England national prospective cohort study.

Summary: Evidence from a prospective cohort study in England suggests that for women with a term, singleton pregnancy, planning birth in a midwifery unit (for nulliparous women), or planning birth either at home or in a midwifery unit (for multiparous women) may lead to fewer interventions than planning for birth in an obstetric unit. (In this study, nulliparous women who planned home births also had fewer interventions compared to planned delivery in an obstetric unit, but perinatal outcomes were poorer as well.)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/22117057/

Strength of Recommendation = B