New York Hospital's Secret Policy Led to Woman Being Given C-Section Against Her Will

 

By Molly Redden

A New York hospital accused of forcing a mother to undergo a caesarean section against her will used an internal policy permitting doctors to overrule a pregnant woman’s medical decisions, the Guardian has learned.

The Staten Island University hospital (SIUH) policy offers doctors step-by-step instructions for performing procedures and surgeries without a pregnant woman’s consent if they can’t persuade her to give permission and several doctors agree that the treatment carries a “reasonable possibility of significant benefit” for her fetus that “outweigh[s] the possible risks to the woman”.

When there is an emergency that threatens the fetus, the policy gives her doctor even more power, allowing him or her to override a pregnant woman’s wishes on the spot and without consulting anyone else.

The policy flies in the face of ethical recommendations by groups such as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), both of which condemn procedures performed without a mother’s consent for the benefit of her fetus.  

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Source: The Guardian (via The Empire Report)