Birth Defect News

Medical Board Of California Arrests Orangevale Unlicensed Midwife In Infant Harm Case

SACRAMENTO-Medical Board of California investigators arrested unlicensed midwife Denise Haycock on January 11, 2002 after her participation in the delivery of an infant who suffered extreme brain damage during her home birth. Haycock attended the birth as a midwife, but she is not licensed.

Haycock allegedly failed to note a high-risk factor during gestation and did not respond properly to signs of fetal distress during the delivery. She provided all the prenatal care to the mother prior to delivery. She was arrested at her home on a felony warrant of practicing medicine without a license and causing serious injury to a person. Additional misdemeanor charges of the unlicensed practice of medicine and midwifery are also pending. The prosecution is being handled by the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office.

The parents of the infant said they thought Haycock was licensed to practice midwifery in California, but she is not. To legally provide prenatal care and attend a birth, midwives must be licensed in this state. There are two kinds of licensed midwives-those licensed by the Board of Registered Nursing and those licensed by the Medical Board of California. Unlicensed medical practitioners pose a risk of causing serious injury to anyone they treat. Parents are urged to confirm a midwife is licensed before hiring one.

To determine if a midwife is licensed, contact the Board of Registered Nursing at (916) 324-2715 and the Medical Board of California at (916) 263-2382. If a person offering services is not licensed, please contact the Medical Board's toll-free complaint line at (800) 633-2322.

If you or anyone you know has experienced the results of a birth defect or any other kind of medical malpractice, please contact us. We are here to help you.

	Did You Know?
	Birth Defects Can Happen At Different Times During Pregnancy Birth defects happen before a baby is born. Inherited or genetic factors; things in the environment, such as smoking or drinking alcohol or not getting enough folic acid; and a woman’s illness during pregnancy can cause birth defects. Most birth defects happen in the first 3 months of pregnancy, when the organs of the baby are forming. This is the most important stage of development. However, some birth defects happen later in pregnancy. During the last six months of pregnancy, the tissues and organs continue to grow and develop.