New rules for "home birth" past due date in Hungary

Despite a promise that it would be completed by July 1, the Hungarian government has failed to complete work on a new regulatory package governing childbirth outside of hospitals, writes daily Magyar Nemzet, based on a report from national newswire MTI.

The Health Ministry began work on the regulations last November, and former health minister Ágnes Horváth had promised they would be introduced by July. At the time, the ministry was planning a package that included both a law and separate decrees.

Every year 500-600 babies are born outside of hospitals in Hungary.

The expected regulations would contain detailed requirements for those who choose to give birth at home, including the professional requirements of those who can assist in deliveries, and the necessary equipment. It would also outline the types of deliveries that can be made outside of a hospital.

The push for new regulations followed several well-publicized cases last autumn in which complications during deliveries necessitated the intervention of emergency medical personnel.

Despite this, officials say the goal of the legislation is not to ban home birth but to better regulate the practice.

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