More women were opting for “natural births” over Covid infection fears, the trial of runaway mother Constance Marten has heard.

Wealthy aristocrat Marten, 36, and her partner Mark Gordon, 49, are accused over the death of their baby Victoria while living off-grid in a tent on the South Downs in wintry conditions.

A nationwide search was launched over concerns for the child after a placenta was found in the couple’s burnt-out car by the motorway near Bolton, Greater Manchester, last January 5.

Following their arrest last February 27, Victoria’s badly decomposed body was found in a Lidl bag inside an allotment shed in Brighton, East Sussex.

While the cause of her death is “unascertained”, jurors have heard she could have died from the cold or co-sleeping.

On Wednesday, defence witness Dr Ehsan Rafiq said pregnant women were not legally obliged to receive antenatal care and some people, such as members of the travelling community, did not routinely access it.

He spoke of a general trend towards less authoritative parenting styles, such as natural and home births.

I think that (Covid-19) has accelerated that process of natural births, maybe because it was the fear of Covid infection

Defence barrister Neena Crinnion, for Gordon, asked: “What impact did Covid-19 have in terms of free births and home births?”

Dr Rafiq said: “I think that has accelerated that process of natural births, maybe because it was the fear of Covid infection.”

He said it would be “entirely up to the mother” whether or not to have medical intervention on giving birth if there were no concerns for her health.

He also outlined the concept of “attachment parenting” which could involve carrying the baby in a sling and co-sleeping.

Francis FitzGibbon KC, for Marten, quizzed the witness about the practice of “hypnobirthing”.

Dr Rafiq said it was not available on the NHS but agreed the practice was about creating a relaxed environment through a variety of techniques including hypnosis.

Prosecutor Joel Smith queried the advisability of not having antenatal scans, saying: “There are very many significant problems that are relevant both to the child’s health and the mother’s health that can be picked up on a scan in antenatal care.

“While it remains the mother’s decision, your advice is to take advantage of antenatal care?”

The witness replied: “That’s correct.”

Mr Smith continued: “Your advice would be not to live in a tent in winter with a newborn child because that poses obvious danger to the life of a child?”

Dr Rafiq agreed.

Expert on sudden deaths in children, Dr Srinivas Annavarapu told the court that Victoria was probably born before last January 3.

It is alleged the defendants went on the run two days later because they wanted to to keep their daughter, after four other children were taken into care.

Following her arrest, Marten told police Victoria died when she fell asleep in the tent while holding her under her jacket.

The court has heard that Marten had previously been warned by social workers of the risks of falling asleep with the baby on her and that a tent would be “wholly inappropriate for a baby to live in”.

The defendants, of no fixed address, deny manslaughter by gross negligence, perverting the course of justice, concealing the birth of a child, child cruelty and causing or allowing the death of a child.

The Old Bailey trial continues.