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?
	Information Is Available On Birth Defects If your child has a birth defect, you should ask his or her doctor about local resources and treatment. Geneticists and genetic counselors are another resource. CDC can give you general information about birth defects. For other birth defects, you may contact one of many national groups. These groups have fact sheets or brochures or can direct you to support groups, where you can meet and talk with other parents of children with the same type of birth defect. Many support groups also have brochures and books to help you learn more about birth defects.