yna ec olog ists , ▁have ▁issued ▁strongly ▁word ed ▁public ▁statements ▁warning ▁against ▁the ▁practice . ▁Professional ▁mid w ives ' ▁associations , ▁including ▁the ▁Royal ▁College ▁of ▁Mid w ives ▁and ▁the ▁American ▁College ▁of ▁Nur se - M id w ives ▁also ▁ca ution ▁against ▁U C . ▁ ▁Un ass isted ▁child b irth ▁has ▁been ▁linked ▁to ▁substantial ly ▁elev ated ▁rates ▁of ▁both ▁mat ernal ▁and ▁ne on atal ▁mort ality . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁few , ▁and ▁perhaps ▁the ▁only , ▁formal ▁investigation ▁of ▁the ▁mort ality ▁rates ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁practice ▁was ▁conducted ▁by ▁the ▁Indiana ▁State ▁Board ▁of ▁Health ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 4 , ▁among ▁members ▁of ▁a ▁religious ▁community ▁in ▁Indiana . ▁ ▁The ▁investigation ▁found ▁a ▁per in atal ▁mort ality ▁rate ▁ 2 . 7 ▁times ▁higher , ▁and ▁a ▁mat ernal ▁mort ality ▁rate ▁ 9 7 ▁times ▁higher ▁than ▁the ▁state ▁average . ▁ ▁In ▁this ▁community , ▁pre gn ant ▁women ▁receive ▁no ▁pr en atal ▁medical ▁care ▁and ▁deliver ▁at ▁home ▁without ▁medical ▁assistance . ▁ ▁This ▁community ▁avoid s ▁not ▁only ▁pr en atal ▁medical ▁care ▁but ▁all ▁medical ▁care . ▁ ▁Un ass isted ▁child b irth ▁comes ▁with ▁serious ▁ris ks . ▁If ▁something ▁comes ▁wrong ▁during ▁labor , ▁the ▁mother ▁and ▁child ▁might ▁need ▁assistance ▁from ▁trained ▁medical ▁staff . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁College ▁of ▁Ob st etr icians ▁and ▁Gy ne colog ists , ▁Thomas ▁Pur