WOMEN in Bolton are missing out on the benefits of giving birth at home -- because GPs do not like it.

This is according to a new survey from the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) which reveals there have been no planned home births in Bolton since 1999.

Survey

And that is out of a total of 3,878 for the town.

To coincide with National Pregnancy Week, which starts today, the NCT questioned 167 heads of midwifery across the UK as part of the survey.

The vast majority -- 90 per cent -- said they believed home births to be as safe as those in hospitals.

Half those questioned felt that GPs in their area did not present home births as positively as they did hospital ones to expecting mums.

Some midwifery heads suggested GPs may be neglecting to discuss the advantages of home birth properly with parents-to-be and reluctant to support women who opt for it.

Bolton has the lowest figure of home births -- standing at nil -- from Hospital Trusts throughout the region.

Belinda Phipps, Chief Executive of the NCT said: "We believe that women do not receive enough information about home birth from health professionals to be able to make an informed choice.

"Nationally, one woman in five wants to know more about home birth, but only around one baby in 50 is actually born at home.

Flexible

"We want to see a move towards more flexible, midwife-led maternity services, based around the needs of women.

"This will enable more health authorities to offer women the option of home birth."

The NCT says that women who plan to give birth at home are less likely to have caesarean section and they tend to have greater privacy and more control.

This has a knock-on effect with women less likely to suffer post natal depression.