Police investigate second baby death in Finnish home births

Finnish police are investigating multiple criminal cases linked to home births, including two in which newborns died, according to a Yle public records request.

In western Uusimaa, investigators are handling two cases. The first involves a January 2025 home birth in Kauniainen where the newborn died after being transferred to Helsinki University Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit. The cause of death was oxygen deprivation and meconium aspiration during a prolonged labour. The case is being treated as involuntary manslaughter, with two midwives operating under a business name listed as suspects.

Lead investigator Klaus Geiger said the probe has been lengthy due to delays in obtaining medical expert statements and the death certificate. A second western Uusimaa case, from this spring in Espoo, is under investigation for aggravated assault and unauthorised practice of healthcare.

In Ostrobothnia, police are investigating a negligence-related offence from a 2025 home birth where the baby survived. No intentional crime is suspected. Central Finland police are also finalising a 2024 case where a newborn died during a home birth; the preliminary investigation is expected to conclude this autumn.

Nationally, planned home births have surged, doubling from 80 in 2020 to 169 in 2025, per preliminary data. According to the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, seven babies have died in planned home births between 2020 and 2025. Health professionals continue to warn against the risks.