Although home births may be a reliable option for some women ("Home delivery," Jan. 28), I hope midwives who assist in these deliveries are screening their patients for vasa previa.

This is a condition that occurs in one out of 2,500 pregnancies in which the blood vessels between the mother and baby that are normally within the umbilical cord extend into the thin membrane below the baby's head. When the membranes rupture, the vessels tear and the baby starts to lose blood. Once the bleeding starts, the otherwise healthy full term baby has a death rate as high as 95 percent.

Unfortunately, despite the severity of this condition and improvements in fetal ultrasound, women are not routinely screened. When vasa previa is identified, hospitalization prior to the onset of labor with a caesarean section before the membranes rupture saves the baby's life. Additional information is at www.vasaprevia.com

Julianna P. Rhodes, R.N.

Durham