MIDWIFE RESPONSE TO SUIT

A case last year in which an uncredentialed midwife has been charged with reckless endangerment in the death of a child during delivery has drawn a comment from the Wisconsin Guild of Midwives, a group which has been awaiting the governor's signature on a bill that handily passed both houses of the legislature on January 31.
Katie Prown, who led a grassroots charge to victory for the bill sent the following release to milwaukeeworld.com in which she says the pending licensing law would clarify the legal status of midwives.
Helen Dentice, the midwife who participated in the tragic circumstances attendant to the birth of Faith Stoiber, would not have qualified to serve as midwife under the provisions of SB477, Prown said.
According to the release:

SB 477, will close a gap in current law by requiring midwives who provide out-of-hospital maternity care to undergo the training necessary to qualify for the Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) credential. The CPM credential requires midwives to complete a rigorous educational program, to develop collaborative relationships with physicians, and to adhere to strict guidelines for identifying risk factors that necessitate hospital care.

Helen Dentice, who did not have the credentials that SB 477 would put into law, delivered Faith Stoiber in her parents’ home last November. The infant died, and Dentice has been charged with second-degree reckless endangerment, unauthorized delivery of a prescription drug, and practicing medicine without a license.

“I’m grateful that the legislators of this state recognized the need for this law,” said Bridget Stoiber, Faith’s mother. “Right now it can be very confusing for families to try to tell the difference between trained and credentialed midwives and lay midwives.” Under current Wisconsin law, there are no regulations governing out-of-hospital maternity care and no provisions to prevent lay people from advertising as midwives and delivering babies.

“As a Certified Professional Midwife who’s been practicing for over 25 years, it doesn’t surprise me that this legislation has earned such widespread support from the many physicians across the state who work with me and with other CPMs,” said Jane Crawford Peterson, President of the Wisconsin Guild of Midwives. “They know the difference between a CPM and a lay midwife, and they’re grateful that we finally have a bill that will clarify the distinction and give families the tools they need to determine if their midwife is appropriately trained.”

SB 477 requires midwives to disclose detailed information about their education, skills, and experience and to provide families with an individualized plan for care in the event that the mother or infant requires transfer to a hospital. The bill also clarifies that collaborating physicians cannot assume liability on behalf of the midwives who consult them. “Those of us who work with Certified Professional Midwives,” said Mike Feigel, MD, “believe this legislation will help open up collaborative relationships by removing the potential for litigation that has kept many doctors from being willing to confer with or accept patient referrals from midwives who practice in out-of-hospital settings.”

--Michael Horne