The Carbon Footprint of Different Modes of Birth in the UK and the Netherlands: An Exploratory Study Using Life Cycle Assessment

( BJOG . 2024;131(5):568–578. https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-0528.17771) The research explores the carbon footprint associated with different childbirth procedures in the UK and the Netherlands, particularly looking at cesarean birth (CB) and vaginal deliveries (VD) in both hospital and home settings. Identifying and reducing high-emission areas, including maternity care, is crucial as health care accounts for about 5% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. Using life cycle assessment (LCA), this study offers information on the carbon footprint (a quantitative assessment of greenhouse gas emissions attributed to an occurrence and expressed in CO 2 e) associated with childbirth so that maternity health care professionals can make environmentally conscious choices.