There are many barriers to pregnant women and their doctors being straightforward,but this has to finish – the health of mom and baby depend on itOpen, honest conversation is essential for any doctor-patient relationship. But it is even more essential in prenatal care, or when the health of the mother,the health of the pregnancy and the health of the fetus are all at stake, and when decisions about treatment require both doctors and pregnant patients to be well-informed in order to weigh the risks and benefits of various behaviors and treatments.
The fracas final month about an announcement that no amount of drinking is secure during pregnancy – which overlooked evidence that some drinking does not pose substantial risks to the developing fetus and led to accusations that medicine is infantalizing women by assuming they can’t understand the nuances in play – exposes a much larger problem: pregnant patients and their doctors are often less than honest with each other.
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Source: theguardian.com