Water birth and infection in babies.

Water births are becoming more popular among mothers and midwives because the buoyancy of water and the warmth of the water used in such births promotes "natural" labour while providing a noninvasive, safe, and effective form of pain management.(1) Concern has been expressed, however, about contamination of the birthing tub system (the tub and its accessories) with bacteria that could cause infection in a baby. Virulent bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae have been reported in water pumps and heating systems,(2) filling hoses of the tub,(3) and water in the tubs.(4) Nevertheless, we do not know of any reports of a baby becoming infected owing to a …