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GEN: Collateral Damage From Malpractice From: art fougner, md (evsono@pipeline.com) Thu Apr 8 08:44:20 2004 Messages sorted by: [ date ][ thread ][ subject ][ author ] Next message: rmodugno@aol.com: "An article from IndyStar.com" Previous message: art fougner, md: "OB: Vitamins Prevent Birth Defects Other Than NTD's" Midwifery rate declines in New York City Obstetrics April 8, 2004 2004 APR 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The number of births attended by midwives in New York City is declining, according to figures from the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. In 2002, the latest year for which statistics were available, midwives - either in or out of hospitals - attended 9.7% of births in the city, down from 12.2% in 1997. The decline might be due partly to rising insurance costs, The New York Times reported in March 15, 2004, editions. For example, the Elizabeth Seton birthing center in Manhattan closed in September 2003 after its malpractice insurance shot up 400%, the Times reported. Another midwifery center, SoHo Midwives, closed in December 2002. Medical Liability Mutual Insurance Company, which handles a large number of malpractice claims in the state, said premiums for a midwife's policy covering up to $3 million in damages would rise to $19,000 in July 2004. That's more than twice as much as was charged in 2003, when the rate was $8,000. The reason for the increase was the high expense of claims pertaining to babies born neurologically impaired, Edward Amsler, vice president of Medical Liability, told the Times. Those costs are passed on to midwifes in the form of higher premiums, he said. Managed care plans have also cut into the midwifery rate because many do not allow women to use midwives, the Times reported. Hospitals, too, have reduced the number of births overseen by midwives because more births are considered high-risk, according to Cynthia Sparer, senior vice president and chief operating officer of New York-Presbyterian Hospital. For example, more women are delaying pregnancy until relatively late in life, when potential complications are more common, she told the Times. Midwives began to grow in popularity in the 1970s, due in part to a trend toward natural childbirth. Nationwide, 7.6% of 2002 births were attended by midwives, up slightly from 7% in 1998, according to the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics. This article was prepared by Women's Health Weekly editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2004, Women's Health Weekly via NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net. http://www.obgyn.net/newsheadlines/womens_health-Obstetrics-20040408-113.asp -- art fougner, md ich bin ein New Yorker Next message: rmodugno@aol.com: "An article from IndyStar.com" Previous message: art fougner, md: "OB: Vitamins Prevent Birth Defects Other Than NTD's"

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