"Honestly, the technology got rolled out before we knew if it worked or not." That is a recent quote from an obstetrician in St. Louis. It illustrates a problem that pervades medicine today. Powerful technology and drugs are rushed to market without fully understanding their effect. That's resulted in not only high-profile drug recalls, but also quiet failures.
Fetal monitoring technology was introduced in the early 1970s with the promise that it would reduce the incidence of cerebral palsy and death due to newborns not receiving enough oxygen during birth. The devices measure a baby's heart rate, which doctors use to determine the baby's health during labor. It is supposed to be an early warning sign to alert doctors to problems so they may intervene and alleviate the problem before it becomes critical. Intervention usually comes in the form of Cesarean surgery or forceps delivery.
More than 85 percent of babies born in America are delivered using fetal monitoring technology despite the lack of evidence to show it is of any benefit. Fetal monitoring has failed to reduce the risk of cerebral palsy or infant death and it has caused a significant increase in Cesarean surgeries and forceps deliveries.
How did a unproven practice like this become the standard practice? We are much to enamored with new technology and devices. Separate studies have shown that old, inexpensive remedies for common ailments from headaches to heart disease are either equally effective as or more effective than most modern drugs. But doctors prescribe the much more expensive new drugs at an alarmingly higher rate than the old standbys. They're too enamored with new technology and to easily persuaded by pharmaceutical reps.
But finally, doctors seem to be catching on at least when it comes to fetal monitoring. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have published new guidelines for fetal monitoring. The purpose of the new guidelines is to reduce the misinterpretations of fetal monitor data that have led to the unnecessary increase in Cesarean surgeries and forceps deliveries.
Unfortunately, experts do not expect the new guidelines to cause a decrease in the number of babies born with cerebral palsy. Fetal monitors cannot make a large impact in decreasing cerebral palsy babies because 70 percent of cases occur before labor begins and only 4 percent result solely from a mishap during labor and delivery. The remaining 26 percent of cases can be attributed to a combination of factors that occur before and during labor or after delivery.
Written by Art Zimmet
arthur@zqlawyers.com
http://thechildinjurylawyer.com
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