BTS: Is Private Maternity Care Really Safer?

A large Australian study comparing public and private maternity care seemed to show better outcomes for mothers and babies in private obstetric-led care, including lower rates of stillbirth, NICU admission, severe perineal tears, and maternal haemorrhage. But the story is much more complicated than the headline suggests.

In this episode of Baby Tribe Shorts, Afif and Anne unpack the study and ask whether it really proves that private care is safer, or whether the results reflect something deeper: differences in patient selection, continuity of care, intervention thresholds, and the fact that public hospitals often absorb the highest-risk pregnancies.

They also discuss why the findings may not translate neatly to Ireland, where private obstetric care usually sits within public maternity hospitals rather than separate private maternity units. The take-home message is not that public care is worse, but that fragmented care, lack of continuity, and risk transfer matter. A high-risk hospital having worse outcomes does not mean it gives worse care. Sometimes it simply means it is looking after the patients who need the most help.

Link to Article: https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1471-0528.18286