HOME BIRTHS AND ANTENATAL CARE: THE G.P. PERSPECTIVE

: 138 General Practitioners (G.P.s) in an Irish regional health authority were sent a postal questionnaire on antenatal services and home births. Replies were received from 100 G.P.s. (72% response rate). Most wanted more involvement in an antenatal care (92%) and were willing to facilitate shorter hospital stays for delivery only (91%). However, only a minority were in favour of midwife deliveries (32%), combined midwife/G.P. deliveries (15%) or complete midwife antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care (15%).