If we're going anecdotal, my son nearly died due to complications caused and worsened by hospital procedures and conditions. For one thing, the hospital had no air conditioning or hot water - I'm not kidding! I had both at home.

Then they saved him, then he had an 8 minute seizure. He's only marginally impaired.

I was very tempted to have my second baby at home, but lived more than an hour from hospital so decided it wasn't prudent. He was born with no doctor in the room because I had him so fast they didn't have time to get there from down the hall.

In light of my experience, I absolutely believe that, in the case of a healthy woman who has been screened for complications and attended by a midwife, home within reasonable range of a hospital is just as safe as hospital.