▁other ▁birth ▁professional ▁for ▁pr en atal ▁care . ▁There ▁are ▁potentially ▁life - th re aten ing ▁consequences ▁of ▁having ▁no ▁medical ▁follow - up ▁in ▁case ▁there ▁are ▁comp lications . ▁ ▁Pre val ence ▁ ▁United ▁States : ▁The ▁National ▁Center ▁for ▁Health ▁Statistics ▁reports ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁ 4 . 1 ▁million ▁b ab ies ▁born ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁more ▁than ▁ 7 , 0 0 0 ▁were ▁born ▁at ▁home ▁without ▁a ▁mid w ife ▁or ▁phys ician ▁att ending . ▁It ▁is ▁unknown ▁what ▁portion ▁of ▁these ▁birth s , ▁roughly ▁equivalent ▁to ▁a ▁sixth ▁of ▁ 1 % ▁of ▁the ▁nation ' s ▁annual ▁total , ▁occurred ▁by ▁choice . ▁ ▁Australia : ▁It ▁is ▁not ▁currently ▁known ▁how ▁many ▁women ▁in ▁Australia ▁give ▁birth ▁at ▁home ▁by ▁choice ▁without ▁medical ▁assistance . ▁Home ▁birth s ▁in ▁Australia ▁represent ▁just ▁ 0 . 2 5 ▁percent ▁of ▁all ▁birth s , ▁with ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁these ▁done ▁with ▁the ▁assistance ▁of ▁a ▁mid w ife . ▁ ▁Ris ks ▁ ▁In ▁response ▁to ▁the ▁recent ▁growth ▁in ▁interest ▁over ▁un ass isted ▁child b irth , ▁several ▁national ▁medical ▁soci eties , ▁including ▁the ▁Society ▁of ▁Ob st etr icians ▁and ▁G yna ec olog ists ▁of ▁Canada , ▁the ▁American ▁College ▁of ▁Ob st etr icians ▁and ▁Gy ne colog ists , ▁and ▁the ▁Royal ▁Australian ▁and ▁New ▁Zealand ▁College ▁of ▁Ob st etr icians ▁and ▁G