Scientific journal paper Q3
Can the unequal access to home birth be framed as a source of inequalities? A comparison between Portugal and Denmark
Mário JDS Santos (Santos, M.);
Journal Title
Portuguese Journal of Social Science
Year (definitive publication)
2018
Language
English
Country
United Kingdom
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Abstract
Planned home births happen across Europe, but there are countries and formal limitations can be found by This article draws upon a short research project conducted in Denmark in March 2014, which aimed to explore the organization of home birth in Denmark and to compare it to the Portuguese case. Private home births, in Portugal, and publicly funded home births, in Denmark, show interesting similarities when looking at the individual experience of choosing and planning a birth at home. However, through this comparative analysis, I argue that the limitations imposed around the option of home birth in Portugal raise important inequalities between women and families planning to give birth at home and those planning a hospital birth. The success:fa models found in Denmark can potentially serve as grounds for a broader discussion and as a trigger for change in Portuguese policies, to promote ethical and evidence based practices among professionals, and the improvement in perinatal health outcomes for families who experience planned home births.
Acknowledgements
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Keywords
Home childbirth,Health inequalities,Reproductive rights,Maternity care,Organization of care,Publicly funded home births
  • Health Sciences - Medical and Health Sciences
  • Sociology - Social Sciences
Funding Records
Funding Reference Funding Entity
SFRH/BD/99993/2014 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
UID/SOC/03126/2013 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
IS1405 COST Action
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