Midwives part of health care solution

A letter by Peter Flowers (Feb. 8 Fence Post) stated, "Health care reform is a vital issue to all Americans." A neglected area in the debate over health care reform is maternity care. In Illinois we need to improve health care for women during pregnancy and childbirth - and bring down the cost.

Defending the practice of malpractice lawsuits, Mr. Flowers denies that doctors have fled from Illinois due to medical-liability insurance costs and states that the number of doctors in Illinois is steadily increasing. That may be true, but it does not tell the whole story. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, many obstetricians have decided to stop delivering babies due to fear of lawsuits.

Health care provided by nurse midwives is limited by lack of support and coordination in Illinois. Certified nurse midwives need to find an obstetrician to back them in order to practice. Many doctors are unwilling to work with midwives. Direct entry midwives are not certified in Illinois, but women turn to them for home birth, avoiding the interventions pushed in the hospital.

The fear of malpractice lawsuits is one reason the C-section rate has jumped from 6.5 percent in 1965 to 31.8 percent now, and it is not good for women and children. C-sections involve health risks for the mom (blood loss, blood clots, infection and difficulties with breast-feeding). For the baby there is increased risk of respiratory problems.

Much money is going into lawsuits and insurance premiums, but that does not translate into better health care for women and infants. Instead of being boxed in by fear, we need a system that encourages constructive change. The care providers that are able to reduce interventions and show improved outcomes should be rewarded. We can do better.

Carol Van Der Woude

Hoffman Estates