Home Birth Aotearoa Statement on Coroner Report into Deaths Of Casey Nathan And Son
It is with the greatest empathy to the whānau of Casey Nathan and her son Kymani that Home Birth Aotearoa releases this
statement in response to the Coroner’s Report recommendations.
Home Birth Aotearoa maintains that the New Zealand model of partnership between midwife and mother is the best in the
world. We promote informed consent and personal responsibility for choices in pregnancy and childbirth.
Home Birth Aotearoa rejects the recommendation of the Coroner, based on the findings in this one singular case, to make
changes to midwifery training that include hospital internships for new graduates. Research, including the recent Birth
Place study in the UK, repeatedly shows that the safest place for a low risk birth to take place is at home, followed by
a primary birthing unit. Any changes made to midwifery training in New Zealand should involve more time spent at births
at home and in primary units.
Home Birth Aotearoa National Coordinator Rachel Yeats states “midwives who have a better understanding of ‘normal’ birth
will be better able to distinguish an ‘abnormal’ birth and therefore have better judgement of when to make referrals
outside of their scope of practise.”
Home Birth Aotearoa supports midwives and their integral role in birthing families. We recognise the skill, wisdom and
commitment midwives bring to the cause of physiological birth. The model of partnership we enjoy in New Zealand is world
class and to be protected at all costs.
Home Birth Aotearoa is in full support of the enhanced mentoring of graduate midwives as part of the Midwifery First
Year Of Practice Programme. We encourage mothers and midwives to have students present at their home births so that a
greater appreciation for normal, natural birth – and its reverse - can be attained.
We do not support the vast criticisms of the midwifery system based on one singular case. We do not believe that
undermining the midwifery profession in our nation will be beneficial to families.
“Birthing mothers need to have faith in their lead maternity carers in order to feel safe. Expressing doubt that our
midwives have been adequately trained - when our maternity system is internationally regarded as of the highest class -
does not make mothers feel safe”, says Home Birth Aotearoa Trustee Sian Hannagan.
Home Birth Aotearoa acknowledges that the complication in this case is extremely rare and it is thus difficult to
control against many factors including the model of care.
ends