By Xena Bunton, The Herald-Dispatch
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Almost two years after the pandemic started, CDC released data December 2021 showing that COVID-19 impacted births in United States — including a 5% increase of home births compared to the total number of births in 2019 and 2020 in West Virginia, where midwifery is essentially illegal.
In a study created by Nick VinZant, senior research analyst for Quote Wizard, the number of women giving birth at home in the U.S. increased by 22% during the first year of the pandemic. Home births began to rise in April 2020, after a steady rate three months prior.
There are no available licensures for midwifery in West Virginia, which may have affected the percentage of increase. The neighboring state of Ohio also does not offer a licensure, but the home births in the state has increased by 21%. Kentucky also showed a 21% increase, but legislation was passed in April 2019 establishing licensure for certified Nurse-Midwives…