Every Certified Legal Nurse Consultant knows that customary practice can actually be negligent practice. It turns out that nothing is more evident of customary, negligent practice than medically unnecessary C-sections (also known as “early elective delivery”).
According to new definitions published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology and endorsed by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, a pregnancy is “full term” only in the narrow two-week window that runs from 39-40 weeks. This undercuts conventional wisdom of the gray-haired experts who recommended births anytime between 37-42 weeks. According to ACOG and SMFM, babies born within the new two week window do better than babies born two weeks before or one week after that window – in other words, “early term” or “late term.”
This is an important change and should help eliminate unnecessary and potentially harmful C-sections done for the doctor’s or mother’s convenience. It’s long been known that early elective delivery babies face higher incidence of breathing and feeding problems as well as a higher risk of death.
Finally we have a change in standards indicating that this long-standing, customary practice is indeed negligent and dangerous practice – a fact that Certified Legal Nurse Consultants have known for quite some time.
I’m Just Sayin’
P.S. Comment here and share your opinions on other customary practices that are negligent practice.
