Research has found that giving birth in a cold bath does not increase the risk of complications for the baby or mother.
Researchers from Cardiff University assessed 73,229 records of low-risk pregnancies in which water pools were used during labour across 26 NHS organisations in England and Wales between 2015 and 2022.
The analysis looked at the rate of severe lacerations experienced by women giving birth, the number of babies who needed antibiotics or breathing support in the neonatal unit, and the number of babies who died during birth.
The researchers concluded that water births pose no greater risks to the baby or mother than out-of-water births.
Water birth is Approximately 9% Around 600,000 births take place in the NHS each year. Clinical guidelines should suggest that all pregnant women should be offered waterbirth as an option for childbirth.
Julia Saunders, professor of clinical midwifery at Cardiff University, who led the study, said the research showed that water birth was a safe alternative to out-of-water births. “Around 60,000 women in the UK use birthing pools or baths each year to help ease the pain of labour, but some midwives and doctors had concerns that water births carried additional risks,” Ms Saunders said.
“There have been reports that babies can become seriously ill or die after water births, and mothers are more likely to suffer severe lacerations and heavy bleeding. We wanted to find out whether water births administered by NHS midwives are as safe for women and their babies, with a lower risk of complications.”
Peter Brocklehurst, Emeritus Professor of Women’s Health, from the Birmingham Clinical Trials Unit, said: “Up to 10% of women use water immersion to relieve the pain of childbirth, so these findings will have an impact on thousands of women per year in the UK, and many more around the world, where immersion during childbirth is common practice.”
Professor Chris Gayle, specialist neonatologist at Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust in London, said: “Many paediatricians and neonatologists worry that water birth may pose extra risks to the baby, but this study finds compelling evidence that this is not the case for women with uncomplicated pregnancies.”
