Two doctors quit as homebirth row escalates

Two experienced WA doctors have quit in protest from an expert committee reviewing deaths from childbirth after concerns that the group was failing to act on the risks associated with homebirths.

Obstetrician Donald Clark resigned from the Health Department's perinatal and infant mortality committee last week after a meeting on November 8 which he said failed to take a tough stand on the State Government-funded homebirth program.

The Australian Medical Association's representative, GP Catherine Douglass, has also quit after nine years on the committee, apparently disillusioned by the lack of action.

_The Weekend West _revealed that a draft report by the committee, yet to be released by the department, had recommended against planned homebirth. This followed its review of 458 homebirths from 2005 to 2007 which found the risk of stillbirth and infant death in homebirths was almost four times higher.

AMA WA had previously raised concerns that the department was promoting homebirths as a safe option by funding the community midwifery program.

Dr Clark said he had wanted the committee, chaired by Professor John Newnham from King Edward Memorial Hospital, to back his call for the State Government to stop funding the homebirth program but he had received only a lukewarm response.

In his resignation letter he said he could not stay on a committee that was sitting on its hands, despite the "persistent increased risk" to homebirth babies.

Dr Clark said yesterday he had been on the committee for seven years. He believed the group did not want to "rock the boat" with the Health Department, which seemed to be keen to promote homebirth.

"At the moment we're not seeing big numbers of death and injury in babies, but if a lot more women started to have homebirths, the numbers would increase significantly," he said.

"State funding of the program implies approval and safety but that could create some legal issues if things go pear-shaped."

The department said last week the committee's report was still being finalised and it would not comment before its release.

Professor Newnham said yesterday its recommendations would go to the Government. He said Dr Clark had recently quit but Dr Douglass was due to her end her term.