Water Birth Safety Initiative Launched

London January 27, 2015

For Immediate Release

Water Birth Safety Initiative Launched

Following recent reports of preventable water birth tragedies in the U.S.A and U.K. the initiative calls for the implementation of stricter midwifery protocols and sets forth recommendations for equipment standards to enable women to benefit from the use of water for labour and birth in safety.

The driving force behind the initiative is water birth pioneer and leading birth pool designer Keith Brainin who has published the Water Birth Safety Initiative charter to give midwives and hospitals accurate, fully documented information on water birth pools and associated equipment.

Mr. Brainin, who founded Active Birth Pools in 1987 conducted exhaustive research through health department publications and consulted experts in the field of infection control and water borne disease to publish the charter as a framework for birth pool suppliers, hospitals and midwives to work with to establish a safe code of practice.

Policies and recommendations set forth in the charter are based upon highly regarded United Kingdom Department of Health, National Health Service and Midwifery guidelines and protocols.

The Water Birth Safety Initiative aims to motivate and enable birth water pool suppliers and health care professionals to raise standards and implement protocols to avoid further tragedies and make water birth safe.

Notes to editors:

1) Water Birth Safety Initiative charter with extensive bibliography and references: www.activebirthpools.com/water-birth-safety-initiative

2) Water Birth Resource Library: www.activebirthpools.com/resources

3) Active Birth Pools: www.activebirthpoools.com

The Water Birth Safety Initiative is sponsored by Active Birth Pools, the world's leading designer and supplier of water birth pools who are widely regarded for the role they played in pioneering the use of water for labour and birth by supplying the pools that made it possible.

Contact:

Keith Brainin

Founder and Director

Active Birth Pools est.1987

London, England

+44 (0) 208 444 1411

keith@activebirthpools.com