Midwifery Expert Witnesses

The insight attorneys need on malpractice and birth injury cases

Midwifery is a healthcare profession that focuses on providing care and support to women during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. Midwives are trained professionals who provide holistic, personalized care to women and their newborns, with a strong emphasis on promoting natural childbirth and minimizing unnecessary medical interventions. The term “midwife” is used for both men and women in the profession, although most midwives are female.

In the United States, certified midwives need a bachelor’s degree in a health-related field (usually nursing) and must complete a midwifery education program approved by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME). They must also obtain clinical experience by working with a certified midwife. Board Certification in midwifery is administered by the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB).

Most midwives in the United States are certified nurse midwives (CNM), which means they are registered nurses (RN) who have also completed a midwifery education program, as opposed to certified midwives (CM), who only have midwifery training. CNMs are authorized to provide a broader range of healthcare services, including primary care, gynecological care, and family planning services, whereas CMs are only authorized to provide midwifery care.

What is midwifery malpractice?

Midwifery is a regulated medical profession with well-established standards of care. Failure to meet the standard of care can have significant consequences for both the mother and the baby. Examples of midwifery malpractice might include failure to recognize and respond to fetal distress during labor, failure to properly manage postpartum hemorrhage or failure to refer a patient to a higher level of care when needed.

In legal cases involving midwifery malpractice, including medical malpractice and birth injury claims, a midwife can explain the applicable standards of care and offer their professional opinion on whether the defendant CNM or CM met those standards. An experienced midwife can provide significant insight into causation, damages, and other matters related to the case.

Our team can connect you with an experienced midwifery expert witness

Legal matters involving midwifery malpractice can have high stakes, especially birth injury cases with a permanent injury to the baby. The right expert witness can make a dramatic difference in the outcome. We’ve been working with some of America’s finest attorneys in medical malpractice and birth injury matters for decades, and we have a proven reputation for finding highly qualified, objective medical experts who are prepared to testify at trial. Contact us today for a free case summary review.