List date(s) this work was published or aired.
November 3, 2011.
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
For the first time in US history, a cross-section of the maternity care system met last fall to discuss the very controversial topic of home birth, with the goal of reaching a consensus on recommendations for improving maternal and newborn care. The Home Birth Consensus Summit was held at the Airlie Center in Warrenton, Virginia, from October 20 to 22, 2011, and involved a novel conglomeration of practitioners, consumers, insurers, lawyers, ethicists, administrators, and policymakers, as well as researchers with expertise in epidemiology, public health, midwifery, obstetrics, pediatrics, nursing, sociology, medical anthropology, the law, and health policy research.home birth story. The organizers touted an apparent reconciliation between physicians and the homebirth community but the fix was in – there was no real resolution of differences.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
Internet resources included the Homebirth Summit website: (http://www.homebirthsummit.org/); an ACOG news release that has since been removed from the website (http://www.acog.org/from_home/publications/press_releases/nr01-20-11.cfm); a previously published Medscape article (Science and Sensibility: Choice of Birth Place in the United States at http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/717516); and Dr. Tuteur’s website (The Skeptical MD at http://open.salon.com/blog/amytuteurmd).
Explain types of human sources used.
I explored a variety of viewpoints when conducting interviews in order to provide critical balance. Included were: Saraswathi Vedam, coordinator of Homebirth Summit, John Kattwinkel, MD, AAP, and Amy Tuteur, MD – the skeptical MD http://open.salon.com/blog/amytuteurmd
Results:
More discussion is needed between physicians and midwives because the homebirth controversy was not resolved.
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
The leaders of the Home Birth Summit were quite disgruntled by the story and emailed myself and my editors. No discrepancies in accuracy were found and the article remained posted without change. I had back-up copies of all taped interviews.
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
Don’t be afraid of controversy – it makes a good story! Let the readers make up their own mind.