Should Video Be Allowed in the Delivery Room?

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A recent article in The Kansas City Star highlights the issues associated with having cameras in the delivery room during childbirth. Some hospitals have started banning this practice, fearing that footage and photographs of the actual birth could be used against them in a medical malpractice case. Others say cameras could cause distractions that hinder patient care. However, some doctors and hospitals say it's fine, arguing that it could also be used to their benefit in a lawsuit.

Why should doctors fear video cameras in the delivery room if they are doing their jobs properly? Shouldn't it be the patients' rights to film their child's birth if they so choose?

As one physician quoted in the article puts it:

'It's something very momentous in a family's life,' Estrin said. 'If they want to record that, they should be able to.'

And Estrin isn't worried about legal problems, arguing that video proof could exonerate a doctor just as readily as it could indict one.

'If anything,' she said, 'I'm going to be more careful when video is running.'

Maybe hospitals and physicians should consider the possibility of losing business if patients are not allowed to record their births on film.