As per recent reports, it has been revealed that in England and Wales, a mere 2.5% of women delivered their baby at home during the last year, claiming a drastic dip of 2.7% as compared to figures recorded in 2009. In comparison with the number of women who gave birth under housing conditions in 2008, the reports have highlighted a fall of as much as 2.9%.

The reports have been recently made available by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Way back in 1960, the figure was close to 33.2%, but it seems like the long-running NHS awareness campaigns, focused on persuading women to produce offspring in hospital, have eventually paid off.

In the meantime, Midwives have held NHS cost-cutting responsible for the evident decline in the number of women giving birth at home. As per experts, giving birth at home can be tricky for both the mother and her offspring, seeing that the levels of hygiene and the number of facilities available at home as too less when evaluated against advanced facilities, ultra-hygienic and safe environment and availability of expert and efficient staff at hospitals, NHS trusts and other such maternity departments.

In England, the policy of the government gives a woman the liberty to settle on her place of preference for giving birth, there's no compulsion that delivery can only be done at hospitals, or at NHS trusts for that matter.

As per latest stats for 2010, the South West accounts for the highest percentage of women delivering their offspring under housing conditions, 3.8%, while the lowest percentage, 1.2, was recorded in the North East.

In addition, the reports also claimed that generally, women between the age of 35 and 39 are more expected to give birth at home, up to 3.5%, when evaluated against a mere 1% odf women under 20 years of age who deliver at home.