A public health physician, Dr Shehu Martins, on Monday advised pregnant women to avoid giving birth at home, saying it can lead to serious complications.

Martins, who works St. Mary’s Hospital, Gwagwalada, gave the advice in an interview with newsmen in Gwagwalada.

The physician said that though, every mother has the right to choose where she wants to be delivered of her baby, “it is important to consider the risks associated with home child birth’’.

According to him, the dangers associated with home delivery are much depending on the presentation as at the time the woman is deliver of her baby.

“If a woman has high blood pressure, diabetes, among other ailments, the risk could be more.

“For example, if a woman is hypertensive and she doesn’t know, there can be complication of convulsion and the person attending to her may not know how to handle the situation.

“In first time pregnancy, complication from obstructed labour to foetal distress cannot be monitored at home and when she continues pushing, it can lead to vaginal fistula.

“Vaginal fistula is when there is a leakage of urine from the bladder without the woman knowing due to poor management of child labour.

“This prolong labour can lead to death of the baby before she gets to the hospital,’’ he explained.

The physician, therefore, advised that every delivery should be monitored in the hospital, saying “a poorly assisted home birth can lead to serious complications’’.

He said that if a woman prefers to deliver at home, a skilled attendant or medical expert should be involved to handle any emergency situation.

Martins warned that a traditional birth attendant should not be allowed to handle real complications from child birth.