Columbus, OH,
13
May
2020
|
17:12 PM
Europe/Amsterdam

Columbus Dispatch: More Women Asking About At-Home Births

Though hospital systems have stricter patient safety measures than ever before, expectant mothers are carefully weighing their options between in-hospital or at-home births. 

Jason Melillo, MD, medical director of women’s health at OhioHealth, spoke with Columbus Dispatch reporter Danae King about hospital safety and delivery during this time. 

“We are not anywhere near the number of patients they are seeing in New York City,” said Dr. Melillo. “Hospitals are probably safer now even than they were before the outbreak."

Some of these new safety measures include decreased foot traffic in hospitals, the screening of all people who enter hospital doors and masks worn by everyone inside. Dr. Melillo also noted that all confirmed COVID-19 cases in OhioHealth hospitals are isolated in designated wards and that no staff member handles both maternity and COVID-19 patients.

“My advice to pregnant women is to have an honest and frank discussion with their obstetrician if they’re considering having a home birth," said Dr. Melillo. "They are a bit unpredictable, a bit away from help. I think the fears people are having that are steering them to a home birth are fears that are unfounded.”

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