The “Birth is Ours” Association is acting as State Prosecutor in the case of a seriously injured baby due to “forceps training”.
- Original post: El Parto es Nuestro ejerce la acusación popular en un caso de “fórceps didácticos” en el que se lesionó gravemente a una bebé. (2013-10-30)
- See algo the french version: El Parto Es Nuestro s’est constituée partie civile dans un cas de "forceps didactiques" durant laquelle un bébé a été gravement blessé.
One of the most important tasks of the Association “Birth is Ours” is to report, not only in the mass media but also in the Courts, the unacceptable situations of obstetric violence which unfortunately still take place in our country. Thus our Association is acting as State Prosecution in the case of Nancy, a poor and single inmigrant on whom forceps training was carried out during the delivery of her baby.
“Forceps training” are carried out without the woman´s consent and without medical indication, that is, during birth deliveries which are progressing normally without any kind of emergency that requires interventions. The absurd reason for this unnatural practice is just so the students can learn*.
Nancy had a specific profile of vulnerability which made it perfect to subject her to this technique during her birth delivery: she was a young immigrant without an income who arrived at hospital with only the company of a woman in her same circumstances. In up to three occasions different trainees inserted the forceps, under the tutor´s supervisión, who even had to warn one of them saying, “Careful, that could break the baby´s neck!”
As a consequence of this unnecessary practice, Nancy´s baby suffers from serious injuries which require surgery and is currently receiving medical treatment.
Click on the following document if you would like more information on Nancy and her daughter´s case:
- The Press Release (english)
- The Claim (spanish)
- The companion´s testimony (spanish)
- The intervening document (spanish)
* So that the students can practise, there are diverse models and simulators which intend to be replicas of a woman´s body. Thus, it is completely unacceptable to use women as training camps without their specific consent and unnecessarily.
Translation by Lucy Lo Cascio
