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OSU study finds conflict between doctors, midwives
Everson and Cheyney found that hospital physicians believe home births to be unsafe
Caitlin Cagle
Issue date: 5/12/09 Section: News
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The Daily Barometer
Researchers at Oregon State have discovered a growing tension between the practice of midwifery and hospital births.
According to a recent study, it has been shown that doctors and midwives hold a deep mistrust of one another.
"It's a cultural issue," said Melissa Cheyney, assistant professor of anthropology and midwife in-training, "It's like bringing together two people from different countries or two people who speak different languages."
Cheyney, who led the study with Courtney Everson, doctoral student in applied anthropology, revealed the growing conflict after conducting a study on premature births, deaths and birth records. The study revealed that these births were no higher when linked to home birthing.
Cheyney then took her findings to the medical field, where she first discovered the tension.
"Many of the physicians were angered by our findings because they believe the hospital is really the only safe place for birth. Outcomes of home births are as good or better as a physician-attended birth; it's very hard for people to understand that home births are really safe."
The conflict usually occurs when midwives transport their clients to hospitals due to complications. Many midwives and families experience animosity upon arrival as many physicians believe that home births are dangerous.
"The last time I experienced this [tension] was with a pediatrician, and he was mainly upset that the family had chosen to have a home birth. He treated the parents very badly and me even worse. It wasn't very conducive to helping the situation we were in," said Debbie Cowart, a midwife serving the Lebanon and Corvallis area.
The study looked into solutions that could bridge this gap between the two, analyzing ways and reasons for there being so many problems.
"I think it's important that every woman has the right to choose where and when she gives birth, and it's necessary for the two to work together in a respectful manner," Everson said.
On June 8, Cheyney and an obstetrician plan to hold a meeting in the Eugene area, which obstetricians and midwives are both welcome to attend. The meeting will discuss possible ideas, solutions and resolutions to the growing conflict.
"It would help to set up training where each can come to a general understanding of one another. The hospitals are only seeing the transport cases and never actually seeing the home deliveries, so they have a very biased idea of home births."
Cheyney plans to construct a protocol for both midwives and doctors, one that will help each to better understand the other. The protocol will be discussed during the meeting, in which the physicians and midwives will provide their feedback.
"I wish that the doctors would try to take the time to understand what it is we do and why people want that," Cowart said.
Cheyney and Everson's study reflects on the idea that the two can come to a mutual understanding of one another.
"A second thing is communication," Cheyney said, "If we can bridge the communication gap, I think that we will find more respect between the two."
Caitlin Cagle, staff writer
news@dailybarometer.com, 737-2231
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