At five months pregnant the doc. saw a coroid plexis cyst on my unborn son's brain...this is apparently very common. He sent us to a specialist who said dont worry there are no pysical markers of defect, get an ultrasound at 7 months. So last week we had an ultrasound done and my normal doctor (who i wish i would have changed sooner...nutjob!) said he is fine...as far as we can tell... as far as we call tell? what does that mean?! I looked at the 3d printouts and his fingers are all crossed and jumbled. but everything else is perfectly clear. The specialist we saw said that overlapped fingers is not good. So i asked my normal doc, who said well...we cant really be sure..but he looks fine to me. now im 7.5 wks preg and so worried, im so scared. I guess my question is does the doctor HAVE to tell you if he suspects something? By law is he obligated? It doesnt look normal to me so he should notice something wrong right? Maybe im freaking cuz he is my first child? Help! answer, advice?
2006-06-26 03:59:07 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Pregnancy
The thing is, it's so hard to tell for sure whether things are what they seem or not before a baby's born. The doctor certainly doesn't want to get sued for telling you it's definately the worst case scenario, then you terminate the pregnancy, and an autopsy shows the child is fine. This actually happened before in a lab mix-up involving an anmniocentesis. A woman aborted her baby who was perfectly fine and sued the doctor, the hospital, and the lab.
You can't always tell with these things how bad it will be until after the baby is born. The doctors sound like they have been very up front with their uncertainty. There is no way to tell, but you know of the potential for a problem. Since you're probably not going to have an abortion now, it's less likely they would lie to you. On the other hand, your doctor is not a specialist, and could be sued if he fails to diagnose a disorder. In that case, he is legally obligated to perform his duties with the utmost competency. But if he thinks it's okay for now, and there's nothing you can do while pregnant to fix it, worrying won't do you any good. Still bring it up at each appointment. Ask what the potential problems are, how to mentally prepare for a disabled child, and whether he plans to have the NICU standing by in the delivery room.
Really, you should calm down and pray. Surround yourself with family and friends and rest secure in the knowledge that you will love your baby, defect or no. Raising your blood pressure and getting all fight-or-flight about it will only pose a health risk to you and possibly the baby too. Give him every chance he's got to be healthy from here on out.
2006-06-26 04:13:00 · answer #1 · answered by mom2babycolin 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think that at this point, you need to talk to your specialist only and ask him/her what you should do. Your specialist seems to be the only one who thinks anything could be wrong. Ask if there is someone they would recommend for you to go and see at this point in your pregnancy. Yes, you might be a little freaked out because this is your first child, but you have every right to be. Your Dr. should tell you anything that is wrong so that you have time to deal with it. You should report your doctor to the Board.
2006-06-26 04:18:14 · answer #2 · answered by photomom 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You have rights! Doctors know that and yes, they have to tell you. A nurse doesn't have to tell you because it's not in her scope of practice (it's considered a diagnosis when you hear it for the first time), but a doctor does. Get a second opinion, you have that right too.
2006-06-26 04:05:41 · answer #3 · answered by Nursen' 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The problem is if you have a doctor who doesn't know what in the hell he's doing. How's he going to tell you when he doesn't know himself? The specialist is the one that should be dealing with you. Good luck.
2006-06-26 04:09:52 · answer #4 · answered by heidielizabeth69 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A Doc might not be obligated under the law, but under the Hypocratic Oath, he is.
2006-06-26 04:02:21 · answer #5 · answered by darkeverlong 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You have patient rights. If you're really that concerned get a second opinion.
2006-06-26 04:27:24 · answer #6 · answered by ktpb 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you can request a copy of your chart i believe. but i don't think they're legally bound until they have absolute proof that something is wrong.
2006-06-26 04:10:56 · answer #7 · answered by Brandie C 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
By law, he is not obligated.
2006-06-26 04:03:49 · answer #8 · answered by RainCloud 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
mom2babycolin said it all....i wish you well!
2006-06-26 04:17:52 · answer #9 · answered by marisa b 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋