I am a recently retired certified nurse-midwife, and I am very concerned about the impact of L.D. 327 on the availability of obstetrical care in Maine.
L.D. 327 is not an anti-abortion bill. Abortions are not performed after the age of viability except to save the life of the mother or in the case of severe anomalies, usually incompatible with life.
What L.D. 327 does is allow family members to sue a care provider whose actions they believe caused an intrauterine fetal death. Unfortunately, fetal death in the second or third trimester of pregnancy is not uncommon, and the reason is usually unknown, but grieving family members are often angry and want someone to blame.
It is very easy in hindsight to believe that the care provider could have done something to prevent an unforeseen fetal death. If this bill goes into effect, I would not practice obstetrics in this state, and I am sure that there will be other obstetrical care providers who feel the same way. Those who stay will probably see their malpractice premiums rise accordingly.
Barbara Miller
Wells
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