CBS Tampa
Doctor threatens to call cops on woman if she doesn’t have emergency C-section
Doctors did, though, believe the lives of Epsteen and her baby were in danger. Epsteen had developed gestational diabetes and an ultrasound Tuesday showed the baby in distress. That’s when doctors told her to immediately go to Tampa General Hospital and have a C-section.
She didn’t want to give birth that day because her husband was at work while she had the family’s only car and also she didn’t have anyone to watch her 2-year-old son.
“In Dr. Yankowitz’s defense, and all of the other physicians there, I don’t think they are trying to cover themselves. I think they really do have the best interests of my child and myself at heart,” Epsteen told the Times. “On the other hand, this is not the way to go about protecting my baby or me.”
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It isn’t uncommon for doctors to get a court order when a parent or parents’ refuse treatment which left undone could maim or kill their child.
Cops will, of course, detain under protective custody to save an unbalanced person from him or herself though it’s a lot more dangerous to do so since Junk Justice widely infected our judicial system.
viking01 on March 8, 2013 at 9:51 PM
If the child was in danger (as the doctor seems to indicate, citing the risk of brain damage), then the doctor was right to take the action necessary to protect the baby.
Stoic Patriot on March 8, 2013 at 9:55 PM
She could have gone to the hospital and refused a c-section. What the doctor was doing and the media was over-blowing was basically “please come in to the hospital NOW because in another 2 or 3 days we think your baby may die.”
I recently had a patient who’s religious beliefs didn’t allow blood transfusions. She developed a pregnancy related condition that causes hemolysis and increasingly lower blood volume which you could replace with transfusion. She refused, the family refused, she was told she would likely die a certain day, she died on that day predicted, and a newborn is without a mother. Cops wouldn’t have helped. What’s a cop going to do.
Marcus on March 8, 2013 at 10:18 PM
IMHO, doctors loathe getting involved with the police unless things are seriously going hairball. Barring serious evidence to the contrary I’m going to have to stand with Dr. Yankowitz.
MelonCollie on March 8, 2013 at 10:23 PM
Cops coulda induced delivery via pepper spray and taser stimulus.
Or they coulda called 0bama and given her an emergency abortion via Drone.
LegendHasIt on March 8, 2013 at 10:24 PM
You can’t mess around with things like this. What is wrong with this woman? From the column it appears she had the kind of mindset to have been suing the doctor before discharge if the baby had been born with brain damage.
We need obstetricians. I had three different ones, and I would have trusted the medical advice of any of them. I had problems with my last pregnancy, and I greatly appreciated all of the precautions my doctor took.
INC on March 8, 2013 at 10:41 PM
Isn’t that, like, anti-choice or something? Where are the feminists??
I saw another article yesterday where a woman was charged with murder for drinking poison to kill her baby. The article even called the baby an “infant,” which blew my mind – usually it only earns a “fetus” title.
The law – and society – is totally schizophrenic on babies when it comes to killing them.
MikeknaJ on March 8, 2013 at 10:53 PM
SWalker on March 8, 2013 at 10:57 PM
My mother’s water broke on a Sunday. She was around 35 weeks along-which was consider VERY early in 1970-and the OB refuse to induce. I was born 3 days later. During those 3 days I was suffocating in the womb. Those 3 days are the reason that I have Asperger’s and am left-handed. Ma used to say that she should’ve sued the OB-not because I turned out quirky-but because, if he done his job correctly. I might have been saved a lot of struggles.
annoyinglittletwerp on March 8, 2013 at 11:06 PM
That is simply terrible. As soon as the water breaks delivery needs to go forward. And, yes, I can’t imagine he didn’t know that in 1970, because I was taking maternal-infant health in fall of 1971. That goes triple if you were born in a big city like Chicago.
INC on March 8, 2013 at 11:29 PM
INC on March 8, 2013 at 11:29 PM
I was born in a small town in Iowa. My guess-and that’s all it it-is that if I had stayed in the womb any longer-I’d have ended up with something like cerebral palsy. I had to go through a ton of OTH when I was a kid and to this day I’ve got horrible coordination on my right side. Lucky for me-my right side is also my stronger side.
When I fire my .38-left handed-both sides combine to make me a decent shot.
annoyinglittletwerp on March 8, 2013 at 11:48 PM
I still cannot believe that doctor. If both sides work together in shooting, it sounds as if your brain and your arms learned to make you ambidextrous.
INC on March 9, 2013 at 12:08 AM
INC on March 9, 2013 at 12:08 AM
You play the hand you’re dealt.
I consider myself to be very lucky.
annoyinglittletwerp on March 9, 2013 at 12:12 AM
I’m glad.
INC on March 9, 2013 at 12:14 AM
My son actually stayed.put for 7 weeks after my water broke. The rule now is they try to get you to 34 weeks if you rupture before that point. Of course, if infection sets in, you deliver within the hour.
Vera on March 9, 2013 at 1:07 AM
Hmph. That’s what you get when you let your baby be delivered by ‘Weird Al’.
Ladysmith CulchaVulcha on March 9, 2013 at 1:07 AM
Jeez, I kinda think a new baby takes precedence over work, and her husband could’ve got a lift to the hospital. (Maybe one of those “helpful” National Advocates for Pregnant Women that she reached out to could have arranged a ride.)
My husband took the Concord back to NYC from London when our second child decided to arrive three weeks early. He made it just in time to drive me to the hospital.
jix on March 9, 2013 at 6:14 AM
It’s a fact, I’m a quack
The disgrace of the A.M.A.
‘Cause my patients die,
yeah my patients die
Before they can pay.
Like a surgeon, hey
Cuttin’ for the very first time
Like a surgeon
Got your kidneys on my mind
Random Numbers (Brian Epps) on March 9, 2013 at 6:47 AM