Is an OBGYN Keeping a List of People Interested in Adoption Ethical?

Stephanie W

I don't know. Maybe if the expectant mother had asked the OBGYN for help, or suggestions (thinking the OBGYN would know best). And if the OBGYN would not benefit at all from it. But still. It doesn't seem right.

Mychildren'smom

they keep a list because, they have some patient that want to go with adoption and they want their OB to help them find a family. My doctors does that too but, it only when they have been asked to help find Adoptive parents.

Tonia

I would say so... yes.

Cam

Keeping a list is kind of creepy but not illegal. It's what he does with the list. Passing that info to anyone would be unethical because of HIPPA and doctor patient confidentiality. But if a pregnant lady asks for adoption resources such as an agency or an adoption attorney I see no problem with the doctor providing her with those resources so she can follow up on her own.

cycle

I call BS. Just because it is on the internet doesn't make it true. Do you really think a doctor is stupid enough to risk his license like that. I think that blog was written by someone like you to get other people like you all fired up.

Big Daddy R

Only if they use to to talk someone into adoption. If they come acrooss a person who says hey I am not sure about keeping this baby they can say they have a few people in mind then the rest is up to her and the PAP

I suppose there's technically nothing wrong with keeping a list, but using the list in any way or mentioning anything to any patient would be wrong.

Andrew Sarski

It sounds pretty unethical to me but I'm not sure about the legality of it. I found a website pertaining to adoption and legal matters that may help you.
http://therobinowitzlawfirm.com/PracticeAreas/Adoption.html

udn2k

It is unethical, and unless the woman in question gave permission for the doctor to share her information with the PAP, then it is a HIPAA violation, and can cost the doctor BIG BUCKS.

H A E

A doctor cannot inform anyone of his patient's conditions without their permission. It's against the law, and if he were to pressure a patient into adopting to a couple of his choosing, that would likely be a violation of his ethical code. I don't think you can assume that's the case though. It makes sense for a doctor to connect people who can help one another if they both give their permission, or if they've gone out of their way to ask for his help.

3 girls and 1 boy for me!

It is highly unethical and NEEDS to be reported! Unfortunately, it does not surprise me that it happens. That's why I like my OB/GYN, they are a very large practice, so the OB's practice in an entirely different building than the GYN's...and those who treat infertility, so never the twain shall meet!

I am pregnant and I can tell you that if I were approached by ANY doctor I see about adoption, I can't even out into words the rage that would come out of me. Even more than an unethical move, I find it totally immoral and inhumane. Ones medical license should be revoked if they are ever reported for going against their patient's best interest and suggesting adoption or hopeful adoptive couples.

dontknow86

Nothing surprises me anymore.

Opedial

Very unethical!

I worked on the rape crisis line, and with homeless teenagers. Sure there were many "opportunities" to exploit people but it not only defies professional ethics, but personal ethics as well. I NEVER believe in approaching someone about their child and I always looked at adoption through foster care to be sure I didn't get caught in that trap of eyeing every pregant teen with hungry eyes.

Keep these things separate I say, and DR's or anyone working near preganant women should have a handy list of people wanting to adopt their children.

I'm Sober

doche bags

grapesgum

Of all of the despicable things that I have read about and witnessed with regards to trolling for a womb fresh infant, this is the lowest of the low. I am disgusted by this practice on the part of the OB/GYNs. They are not social workers. The ONLY ethical thing for an MD to do in this situation is to refer the mother-to-be to a professional counselor who is not involved with adoption in any way.

Adoptive parents who write their vile baby begging letters to OB/GYN offices are the worst of the worst adoptive predators (well, maybe those who write them to high school counselors are as bad). They are taking advantage of a woman when she is in a very vulnerable situation and asking a doctor to violate the patient-doctor privilege and trust.

Is there NOTHING sacred in the quest of the womb fresh prize?

Doctors who do this should be banned from practicing. There is no "depending on the situation" here. The OB/GYN's job is to treat his/her patient. Anything else is disembabyment.

DevonChaos

A doctor is there for medical purposes relating to the pregnancy. Physical medical purposes. The doctor isn't there to maintain lists of who is pregnant but not wanting to keep the baby or a list of people who want babies. I think anyone participating in this is foul. Just plain foul. It is pre-birth matching, immoral in the worst of ways, and just plain wrong. We are commoditizing our own children here. It is disgusting on all fronts.

parenting is an option II

No it goes against the code of ethics. As a doctors code of ethics is suppose to help his patient (the one that is pregnant) and in the doctor's code it tells them they are not suppose to suggest adoption or even have people ready to adopt because it becomes a conflict of interest. A doctor can list options a pregnant patients has like abortion, parenting, or adoption but is NOT ALLOWED to SUGGEST ADOPTION or he can find himself in a lawsuit.

He is not not suppose to keep a list of people looking to adopt as it goes against his profession.

TotalRecipeHound

Actually, it's common and I find it unethical.

Lori A

When I was pregnant my mom worked for my general practitioner. He asked me over 30 years ago if I would be interested in surrendering my daughter to a friend of his that was a lawyer, I declined.

magic pointe shoes

This is exactly what happened to me! My family made it clear that I needed to do the right thing for my baby not play house. If I did decide to play house, I would need to move out because the baby was not welcome in the house. Then I was referred to my ob-gyn for the final month or so of prenatal care. I mentioned that I was thinking I needed to consider adoption and he wrote that in my medical file. He also encouraged me to consider it because he was an adoptive parent; I think he may have even delivered some of his adoptive children! O_o

Anyway, two weeks later I return and have rotated doctors through their policy, and that doctor when reviewing my file saw the note that I was considering adoption. She then asks me how serious I am about it, and I state that I know I have to but actually calling an agency didn't seem to be something I could do. (What does that say about one's self when you have to call a stranger on the phone about how you can't keep your child? I couldn't do it, and that was my first warning sign that I shouldn't have relinquished.) So that doctor then suggested that she had a letter for women like me about another patient of hers that would make wonderful awesome parents, and had even tried adopting multiple times before, the last time they had their baby home for three weeks when the birthmother changed her mind and took their baby back. The doctor then told me how devastating such actions are and that she's more than willing to give me their letter, but I had to be sure that I was going to follow through with adoption because it's not right to flip flop like that. She went and got the dear birthmother letter and then she let me read it. When she asked if I was going to call, I said they sounded like excellent parents and maybe that's who my son was meant to be with, but that I didn't know how I would make that call. She had the nurse call them and explain my situation and then passed me the phone.

With no pre-relinquishment counseling I had been matched with a couple who I felt I could never betray like those wishy washy poor difficult women who should have known better to string them along.

Amazing how much coercion occurs in a 30 minute doctor appointment. And the really screwed up thing is that for some stupid reason I thought it was God's will and blessing upon us! =o(

Edit to add: A doctor is not a social worker. A doctor isn't a counselor who goes over social options. A doctor is there to maintain the health and wellbeing of the expectant mother. Pre-birth matching in itself is coercive by it's very nature, and to match up an expectant mother with a potential adoptive couple before being given help to explore the reasons why she feels she cannot parent isn't right. A doctor has no business giving out a specific potential adoptive parent's information. At most the ethical thing to do would be to refer the expectant mother to where she can find help with the initial problem of why she feels she cannot parent.

Independ"ant"

No its not ethical and neither is a Pap participating in it.

Doctors should not be disclosing patients information at all with other patients.

Unfortunately there are doctors that have been in similar desperate situations who sympathize with barren women wanting a womb wet "baby".

I would call social services and request an inquiry of the Pap and her involvement and report the doctor to AMA.

JennaBear

highly unethical. we have hippa laws to protect our medical privacy...and if I am pregnant there should be NO REASON for my doctor to give anybody that information.

that doctor should be fired.

Lady Rowan

i'm pretty sure that violates client/doctor privilage somewhere. it has to!

life is like the ocean

There are no ethics in newborn adoption. For some reason it is deemed ok for *some* potential adopters to do anything to get a fresh from the womb baby, and the doctor would be applauded by society for helping the poor unfortunate infertile mother. Yet, the natural mother with the child growing inside of her, is just an end to the means. Disposable human incubator.

The doctor should lose his license to practice. His primary patient is the mother and child. Their best interest is NOT adoption. Adoption is NOT a medical procedure. This is a violation of mother and child.

The adoptive parents that participate in this are not fit to be parents. But in this society, anyone with a wallet willing to pay big bucks can get a newborn.

LinnyG

It's disgusting, and he should be reported. I can just imagine infertile women going in and faking pelvic exams just to see if there's any new young single pregnant women on his list. "Scootch down to the end of the table...."

I dont know how these people can sleep at night.

monkeykitty83

In my opinion it's unethical for at least two reasons:

1.) Adoption is a legal and social matter, not a medical one. A doctor blurs the boundaries of the profession by trying to play social worker too, and it's a role a doctor is not qualified for.

2.) It's a conflict of interest, because a doctor should be providing his/her best standard of care to his/her current patient. If the doctor instead prioritizes the needs of those who want a baby by soliciting pregnant patients, the standard of care is not equal. Doctors should be serving patients, not attempting to procure a "service" from one patient for another patient.

If the doctor brings up adoption to the patient, it's additionally coercive, because doctors are oath-bound to be trustworthy professionals, so they will hold more sway than just a random individual. Even if the patient brings it up, though, the doctor playing matchmaker with a prospective adoptive couple is still wrong for the above reasons.

So no, highly unethical in my opinion.

kateiskate is getting married

I find that highly unethical and think that doctor should have his license taken away. That goes against the hippocratic oath doctors take which states that physicians should "keep the good of the patient as the highest priority" and also "Do no harm".

It would be illegal and unethical for this doctor to accept money for the names of these young women and it would still be unethical for him to do so due to his personal beliefs.

sachin kumar

Hi to every body. my self sachin i leave in gzb. i m searching those peoples who adopt /help poor peoples .i m well educated but i have not any type of monetry nd physicially support.i dont need only monetry support, actually i need a backend support to survive me in my career so that i should leave my life.waiting any type of response...................................

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