Water Birth Craze: Does Giving Birth In Water Harms Newborn Babies?

Giving birth underwater has become an increasingly common fad among pregnant women. The process veers away from the traditional birth experience in hospitals, making the experience more unique and exciting. The only question, however, is whether water birth is safe for newborn babies.

Water Birth Is Safe

After analyzing information from 29 previously published studies, researchers found that there isn't a huge a difference between traditional delivery methods in hospitals and water birth, Reuters reported. The studies didn't report differences in complications, infant mortality and admissions to intensive care.

For water birth, women deliver their babies in a pool of warm water. The warm water comforts and relaxes mothers and boosts their energy in the early stages of labor. The water's buoyancy also gives better uterine contractions and blood circulation, which means mothers experience less pain and the newborn have more oxygen, according to the American Pregnancy Association.

Being soaked in a tub of warm water also lowers mothers' need for anesthesia. However, some experts not involved in the study argued that water birth could have serious complications for the newborn baby.

Health Risks For The Baby

Dr. Amos Grunebaum, high-risk pregnancy specialist and director of obstetrics at the New York Weill Cornell Medicine, said water birth delivery poses health threats to newborns such as infection, pneumonia and seizures, Reuters listed. Grunebaum insisted that the popularity of water birth doesn't mean that it is safe or beneficial to both the mother and baby.

The recent study, however, argued that babies born underwater have higher Apgar scores. The quick test is performed on babies at one and five minutes after birth, and records breathing, heart rate, muscle tone, reflexes and skin tone.

Giving Birth With Dolphins

Around 7,000 women in England and Wales have given birth underwater, the Independent wrote. Some women, however, are more adventurous with the practice and have chosen to give birth underwater while surrounded by dolphins.

The Dolphin Attended Water and Natural Birth Center at Hawaii's Sirius Institute is one of the establishments offering underwater birth delivery while surrounded by dolphins. They believe that dolphins are capable of healing numerous medical conditions, and so their presence alongside women giving birth has huge benefits.

Dr. Christie Wilcox, a science journalist and evolutionary biologist, said giving birth surrounded by dolphins is one of the worst natural birthing concepts, the Independent reported. Wilcox said male dolphins' unpredictable and aggressive attitudes could give harm to the mother and newborn. She added that both people and animals can acquire infection and injury in this program.