By Lara Holmes

Between 2004 and 2009, the number of home births in the U.S. increased by 29 percent, leading to 29,650 babies born at home in 2009. This new trend was reported in the report, Home Births in the United States, 1990-2009 by the National Center for Health Statistics.

The cause of this developing trend remains unclear. However, between 1990 and 2004, the number of reported home births was decreasing, from 0.67 percent to 0.56 percent. In 2009, 0.72 percent of babies are born at home.

From the group of women who reported having a home birth, women who were between the 35-years-old or older and women who had previously given birth to children were more likely to have home births. In rare cases were premature babies born at home.

Among white women, the increasing home birth trend is more significant. In 2004, 0.80 percent of births occurred at home, while in 2009, 1.09 percent of births occurred at home. This represents a 36 percent increase in the number of home births.

In addition, home births were seen to be more popular in the Northwestern region of the U.S. Montana, in particular, reported the highest number of home births in 2009, 2.55 percent, and Oregon followed with 1.96 percent. Vermont, Pennsylvania, Utah, Wisconsin, Idaho, and Washington all reported 1.50 percent of births as home births.

However, in the Southeastern region of the U.S. this home birth trend has not shown much effect. In the states, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and West Virginia less than .5 percent of births occurred at home.

Home births usually include the presence of a midwife or certified nurse. 62 percent of home births had a midwife present, ad 19 percent had a certified nurse present. Compared to hospital births, 7 percent had a midwife present and 92 percent had a doctor present.

Some women prefer a home birth because in their home, they have a sense of privacy and comfort. However, home births do have risks associated with them. Some people fear that if something wrong with the home delivery, the necessary medical aid is not readily available and might endanger the health of the mother and infant.