Childbirths at Home and in Birthing Centers Rose During COVID-19: Oregon 2020 versus Prior Years

In March 2020, as COVID-19 was first recognized in the United States, reports emerged about how severe COVID-19 could be among pregnant individuals, and clinicians had to speculate about its potential effects on newborns.1 Out of concern for patient, clinician, and neonatal safety, system-based hospitals—hospitals owned by an organization operating outpatient practices, including primary care—rapidly implemented COVID-19 policies, restricting companions during childbirth and separating parents with COVID-19 from their babies.