In the past month, two new studies have been released - one in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), the other in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) - examining out-of-hospital birth outcomes. The CMAJ study examined 2006-09 provincial health records while the NEJM study analyzed two years of Oregon vital statistics data.

We’ve had lots of questions from families, midwives, and others about the recent release of two articles that were based on the Midwives Alliance of North America dataset (MANA Stats). Here are answers to some common questions, along with a roundup of some of the coverage.