What the study found
Planned home birth care by nurse-midwives and midwives in Brazil is growing, but it remains outside the formal health system and lacks national regulation, clinical standards, and guidelines. The review also found that published studies on this care model were grouped around the care process, team composition, materials, protocols, good practice indicators, evaluation indicators, and professional experience.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that the autonomy, integration, and expertise of nurse-midwives and midwives are central to safe planned home births. They also say that national policies and standardized guidelines are needed in Brazil to strengthen this model of care and support its safety, legitimacy, and sustainability.
What the researchers tested
The researchers carried out a scoping review, which is a type of review used to map what has been published on a topic. They searched multiple databases and thesis repositories between January and February 2024, with an update in December 2024, and included studies about planned home birth care in Brazil provided by nurse-midwives and midwives.
What worked and what didn't
Thirteen studies published between 2012 and 2023 met the inclusion criteria, involving 124 nurse-midwives and one midwife. The review reports that planned home birth is expanding in Brazil, but barriers remain, including the absence of national protocols, difficulty accessing supplies, and poor integration with hospital services.
What to keep in mind
The abstract does not describe patient outcomes in detail, and it does not provide a full assessment of effectiveness or safety beyond the authors' summary statements. The review is limited to the studies found in the searched sources and to the Brazilian context.
Key points
- The review mapped published literature on planned home birth care in Brazil provided by nurse-midwives and midwives.
- Brazil still lacks formal regulation, clinical standards, and national guidelines for planned home birth.
- Thirteen studies from 2012 to 2023 were included, covering 124 nurse-midwives and one midwife.
- Barriers identified in the abstract included no national protocols, difficulty accessing supplies, and poor hospital integration.
- The authors say national policies and standardized guidelines are needed to support safety, legitimacy, and sustainability.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Brazilian planned home birth care lacks national regulation
- Authors:
- Thayná C. Queiroz, Jamile C.C. Bussadori, Pollyana F. Silva, Fernanda Berchelli Girão, Ana Clara G. Cerqueira, Nathalie Leister, Christine McCourt
- Institutions:
- Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, Northampton Community College, St George's, University of London, City, University of London
- Publication date:
- 2026-04-10
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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