Comments on: A home birth gone wrong: Doctors sued for $5 million

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 16:44:00 +0000

trenchdoc: Because they are scared that CPS will show up at their door alleging “medical neglect” if they do not. They must not have insurance, or a PCP.

Although in my jursidicion, LMs are licenced to provide newborn care through 6 weeks.

By: trenchdoc

trenchdoc — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 02:50:00 +0000

I have seen several “home birth” patients present to the ER for a “well child” check several days after birth… it always befuddles me; persons unwilling to have hospital care when it could make a difference, but then they bring an immunocompromised neonate to the one of the dirtiest places on the planet 48 hours later.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 20:18:00 +0000

That’s a totally different situation than in the US – in the UK, doctors and midwives are both part of the NHS, not independant practioners, as in the US. The system was at fault in this case, not a transfer of liability to the deeper pockets, like you’d have here if a homebirth midwife missed the diabetes and the doctor got sued.
Also, I believe homebirth is a guarenteed right there.

By: Samson Isberg

Samson Isberg — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 20:09:00 +0000

Well I practice in another country, and I do encourage women to have home birth, although I never attend them myself. I actually did a checkup this last Friday on a perfectly healthy woman, para II, ultrasound weight estimated her baby to 3700 g, cephalic presentation – and wished her (and the midwife who was going to attend) all the best.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 20:04:00 +0000

What doctor ever encourages anyone to have a home birth?

None in this country, I'd wager.

By: Samson Isberg

Samson Isberg — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 19:57:00 +0000

I’m not encouraging diabetic mothers to have a home birth; but we do experience impacted shoulders at the hospital too, you know; with all kinds of consequences. The question the judges never adress is “would this baby have fared any better in a hospital, if so how, and can you prove it?”