Michigan Legislature Introduces New Bill For Midwives

There is a new bill which has been introduced in the Michigan legislature to require licensure of midwives. A “certified nurse midwife” is a registered nurse who has been issued a specialty certificate in the profession of nurse midwife by the Board of Nursing. It allows a licensed midwife to practice “midwifery,” which means providing maternity care to expectant mothers including the antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum period. The act provides limitations on the scope of practice of midwives and calls for the promulgation of rules to further regulate the practice of midwifery.

In Andrew Muth’s opinion this is an appropriate and necessary action. He has had malpractice cases against midwives who were ineffective and negligent, leading to significant anoxic brain injuries to babies and the subsequent development of cerebral palsy. If your child has cerebral palsy you should have the pregnancy, delivery and nursery records reviewed to determine whether the damages should have been avoided by appropriate medical treatment.