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1. Did not perform a thorough medical vetting of her patient
2. Did not retain a current license
3. Did not question the mother to find out if the baby had been screened for common infections/ailments that could put a baby at risk in utero
4. Did not do her due diligence to understand that this baby likely was not getting good pre-natal care (ie; routine screenings)

If you review the article again, you will see questionable actions from both the mother (parents) and the midwife.

The baby died of a treatable in-utero infection. Babies are screened for this with good pre-natal care. It didn't seem like this was done.

The mother refused a physical exam from the midwife. A physical exam would have indicated that a prior c-section had been performed on the mother, bringing to fore the whole VBAC discussion (which wasn't had apparently since the mid-wife didn't know her patient had a previous c-section.) Regardless of your thoughts on VBAC, you need to understand your personal risks and the risks you put your baby in if you decide to go the VBAC route. Again, a discussion/exam that would need to be done with a qualified, licensed healthcare professional.

And don't forget that pesky little detail of operating as a mid-wife without a license.

I celebrate the life of my children, both born in hospitals. I almost lost my son if it hadn't been for the skilled OB that saved his little life (and mine).

Yes, babies tragically die every day in every possible way. But with modern medicine, good prenatal care, and an understanding that your child really doesn't remember a damn thing about being born in your bedroom or a noisy, bright operating room, more unnecessary deaths can be prevented.

Yes, a hospital may be better equipped than a home. However, you can catch a LOT OF other scary stuff from the hospital too! I've heard of many pregnant women who got infections from the hospital.

This is not a black-and-white case of hospital-is-100%-better-than-home-delivery. It's about assessing your pregnancy / fetus risks, and being prepared, and have plan-B, and even a Plan-C ready for "just in case".

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Because newborns never die in hospitals, right?

What evidence points to the midwife being at fault?

Caught in between
Debate over home birth continues, minus midwife involved in tragic delivery
by Carlo Davis
Reporter staff writer
Aug 24, 2014


This is a very thorough follow-up to the original story - excerpted here:

The midwife charged with practicing medicine illegally after a baby died in a 2012 Hoboken home birth has completed a pretrial intervention program designed for first time offenders, according to Hudson County Prosecutor?s Office spokesman Gene Rubino.

On Sept. 18, 2012, Olivia Kimball, a 31-year-old resident of Great Meadows in Warren County, assisted in the delivery of a baby in a home on Garden Street. At 6:30 p.m. that day, the baby was pronounced dead at Hoboken University Medical Center, Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Michael D?Andrea told the media at the time.

The state medical examiner later determined that the baby had been stillborn due to an infection, according to Rubino. He declined to specify whether or not Kimball was at fault for the death.

Link

I believe in a right to choose and can find no fault with the mid-wife, but I still think the parents would have had better options had the procedure been done in a hospital by a mid-wife. Something can always go wrong!

Midwives are trained professionals, and their craft has been honed since, oh, say the beginning of humanity. This is NOT like the West Coast guy who was trying to pray away his daughter's fatal condition, though the article makes it very easy to assume quackery.
The midwive in question medically did everything right, only did not have the approval of NJ state. That is the issue here, not the care that was provided.
As simple as it may seem to side with the official story as provided by the prosecutors office, this tragic incident connects to a larger dialogue about womens' health and the role of state law.
While the article is heavily slanted against non hospitalized birth, this case is about the right to choose.
It is easy to see why people are riled up though, since the article was shite.

Owlie - hate to disappoint you but I don't think I am inhumane. Yes, it is a tragedy but the parents should have considered they were taking above average risks. This is not India or Africa; we have hospitals here and the parents should have considered the risks. Cold hard fact I bet next time they will have the delivery in a hospital.

Kids Forever!



= We'll never win another war.

To hero69:
Re: "Well, the parents should ask themselves some serious questions. Not much sympathy here. they remind me of these people who refuse to. get their children immunized"

IMHO you are one inhumane character! . The bottom line is that a couple who have waited 9 months for their baby to be born, had to instead bury their baby. You have no sympathy? Too bad. I guess you never experienced a tragedy? Horrible things happen when you least expect it. It could happen to anyone and one would hope that if something awful happened to you, people wouldn't blame you for the tragedy. Have some compassion!

This is sad for everyone involved. Some people on here are assuming a whole lot.

For those who wish to get a bit more educated read this article from the NYT Mag about Midwives and Home Births.

What I learned is that home birth has its place when you contrast with the way most modern hospitals treat births and deliveries as akin to ordering a fast food meal.


http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/27/mag ... irths.html?pagewanted=all

Well, the parents should ask themselves some serious questions. Not much sympathy here. they remind me of these people who refuse to. get their children immunized

I have to agree with Vigilante. I just don't understand having a baby at home without proper medical attention (as in a Doctor - not a midwife). These days hospitals even are on the natural birth bandwagon and have special "natural birthing" rooms available. I happen to work in the legal field and know all too well the many things that can go wrong during childbirth.

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Believe me, I am totally aware of the whole "natural birth, medicine bad, my child is special and I don't want to stress them ever because look what it did too me" crowd.

Midwife without a license - WTF ? How dumb are these people !

Hey V, hear that click? You just stepped on a landmine!!

Who the F has babies at home? Hospitals=God forbid something horrible happens you have the properly trained people right there. As Archie Bunker would say "Dreamy-eyed screwballs".

This is an absolutely tragic story. And while the midwife's role in the baby's death has not been confirmed, she was practicing in our area without a license.

Mama's beware...

Midwife Arrested in Hoboken