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Chapter 8 - Antepartum: Legal Commentary I

from Part I - ANTEPARTUM

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 May 2010

John Patrick O'Grady ,
Martin L. Gimovsky ,
Lucy A. Bayer-Zwirello  and
Kevin Giordano
John Patrick O'Grady
Affiliation:
Tufts University, Massachusetts
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Summary

Scientific advancements have had a profound impact on preconception risk assessment, prenatal diagnostic capabilities, and early intervention. Increased use of sophisticated ultrasound scans and laboratory technology, including the application of recent developments in gene mapping and prenatal blood, tissue, amniotic fluid testing, has resulted in dramatic advancements in antepartum testing. Legal events indicate that the failure to timely utilize technology appropriately to establish the diagnosis of a fetal problem earlier when treatment or termination may have avoided the outcome, is a sufficient and legal recognizable injury for the parents. A physician considering a diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy must be careful to elicit both positive and negative historic data that might support an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy. Conducting advanced scanning procedures is potentially hazardous from a legal point of view when the personnel involved have limited expertise or limited exposure to high-risk conditions.

Keywords

antepartum testingectopic pregnancyfetal problemprenatal diagnostic capabilitiesultrasound scansgenetic testinglegal abortions
Type
Chapter
Information
Operative Obstetrics , pp. 176 - 192
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2008

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