Earlier this year, a judge ordered a pregnant Florida woman to stay in bed after her doctor advised she go on bed rest. The woman, Samantha Burton, questioned her doctor’s recommendation. Although she was at risk for a miscarriage at week 25 of her pregnancy, she wondered if bed rest for up to 15 weeks was necessary. And as a working mother of two toddlers, she didn’t think it was feasible.
Before Burton could seek a second medical opinion, a circuit court judge ordered that Burton stay confined to her hospital bed and to undergo “any and all medical treatments” her doctor deemed necessary for the fetus. Unfortunately, after three days in the hospital, Burton underwent an emergency C-section and the baby was found dead.
The case continues in district court to determine if the lower court overstepped its boundaries. Can a court intervene in a pregnant woman’s care of her fetus?
Burton’s predicament isn’t so unusual. According to a Wiser Pregnancy survey, just over 11% of pregnant women have been put on bed rest. Although medical professionals debate the effectiveness of bed rest at preventing preterm delivery or miscarriage, women with certain conditions – high blood pressure, cervical insufficiency, pregnancy with multiples – may very well end up spending several weeks on bed rest.
Doctors may recommend bed rest even for conditions that aren’t severe. Of women put on bed rest:
- 21.8% report that their condition was not severe
- 37.6% report that their condition was somewhat severe
- 20.0% report that their condition was severe
- 20.6% report that their condition was very severe
Obviously, bed rest can take a substantial toll on career, parenting and other responsibilities. Yet regardless of the severity of the condition, many women will go on bed rest if their doctor advises it.
Do you think Burton was justified in her objection, or was the judge right to step in to protect the fetus’s best interest? And if your doctor orders bed rest, how will you respond?
