After 9 days of “natural” birth, the baby girl in Thanh Tri was hospitalized in critical condition and died of neonatal infection.
“I am very angry that my child was born in Hanoi but did not receive health care when he had a fever or was not vaccinated,” Mr. Tran Minh Dien, Director of the National Children’s Hospital, said on June 13, when receiving decision on the “natural” birth trend.
Accordingly, in September 2023, the National Children’s Hospital received a 9-day-old baby with increased muscle tone, stiff body, refusal to breastfeed, jaundice, and swollen navel. Doctors did intensive resuscitation, but the child died from neonatal infection, sepsis, multiple organ failure…
The medical record recorded that the baby was the third child, born “naturally” at home, the umbilical cord was not cut, and the placenta was placed in a dry-roasted salt basin. On day 3, the umbilical cord fell off on its own, and on day 7, the child had a mild fever (the mother did not know the temperature), but did not take the child to the doctor, treated it herself using the skin-to-skin method, expressed milk for the child to drink with a spoon. The mother was not vaccinated against tetanus during pregnancy. The hospital has notified the police and the Ministry of Health about this case.
Similarly, in 2022, Tu Du Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, admitted a pregnant woman at night with severe anemia, risk of uterine atony, and a baby whose umbilical cord had not been cut. The medical staff had to convince the mother many times before she agreed to stitch up a large tear in the perineum with the request “no anesthetic injections, no antibiotics, accept all risks”. She gave birth for the third time at home, using the natural method.
There are currently no accurate statistics on the number of “natural” births in Vietnam, but hospitals across the country have recorded many mothers and children being hospitalized in critical condition after applying this method.
Most recently, a social network account shared the process of giving birth “naturally” at home with a picture of the baby turning purple, without cutting the umbilical cord, and the mother soaking in a large basin of water. The article received hundreds of thousands of interests, shares and mixed comments. Most people expressed fear and concern for the health of mother and child. While others believe that this is the method their ancestors used, many people gave birth successfully.
In fact, this trend appeared in the US and Australia since 1974 and rose strongly in 2008 in the UK. Accordingly, parents want to give birth naturally at home, and at the same time they keep the baby’s umbilical cord attached to the placenta until these two parts self-destruct. They assumed that the baby would receive all of its nutrients from the placenta, including the stem cells and abundant remaining blood. Cutting the umbilical cord early can cause injury and stress, causing the baby to develop slowly.
However, the British Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists affirms that there is no scientific research and no evidence that this practice benefits children. The World Health Organization recommends that cutting the baby’s umbilical cord should be done 1-3 minutes after the birth of the placenta, skin-to-skin with the mother immediately to be beneficial for the baby.
Doctor Phan Chi Thanh, Chief of Office of the Line Training and Direction Center, Central Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital (Hanoi), warns that giving birth at home without the support of a medical expert is dangerous and can be dangerous. Can cause death to both mother and fetus, absolutely not applicable.
According to Dr. Thanh, pregnant women need to distinguish between giving birth at home and giving birth “naturally”. With home delivery, pregnant women still receive support and care from experienced doctors and give birth safely. In case of natural birth, the mother and her family cannot grasp health developments to promptly provide support, and the mother is at risk of bleeding, pre-eclampsia, and very serious complications.
In addition, the mother soaking in a basin of water is at risk of infection, vaginal tearing, even perineal tearing, uterine rupture, surgical wound tearing… In case the mother has accompanying medical conditions such as heart disease, hypertension pre-eclampsia, the risk of death is higher. The World Health Organization (WHO) 2023 report shows that of the 600,000 deaths related to pregnancy, 40% died due to complications at birth, postpartum and sepsis. All due to lack of appropriate obstetric care and emergency care, pregnant women are left to fend for themselves.
Dr. Luu Quoc Khai, former Head of Department 2 of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hanoi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, said that after birth, the baby’s immune system is very weak and needs to be closely monitored for breathing and skin color to ensure infection control. If born in an unsafe, unhygienic environment, the baby is at risk of infection, respiratory failure, and life-threatening danger. Not to mention, preserving the placenta has no value, and even increases the risk of infection because the placenta is essentially blood, and after 6 hours it will become necrotic.
After giving birth, mothers should breastfeed their babies to absorb nutrients well and increase the body’s resistance. Children need to be vaccinated with some necessary vaccines to prevent diseases.
Women give birth at home with the support of doctors and nurses. Image: Character provided
Experts recommend that pregnant women have regular prenatal checkups and give birth at licensed medical facilities to receive appropriate care and treatment. Pregnant women need to respect medical instructions and not arbitrarily give birth “according to nature”. In case the mother is healthy and wants to give birth at home, she should consult a doctor and have a doctor support her during the skin transfer. After birth, the baby must have the umbilical cord cut and have skin-to-skin contact with the mother according to standards.
Families should consult selective information, not be too extreme or follow unproven methods.
“Giving birth at a medical facility or hospital is the safest. If there are complications, the doctor can handle them promptly, ensuring the safety of mother and child,” said Dr. Thanh.