Beijing hospital compensates parents over pregnancy checkup faults

A pregnant woman is having sonogram. [Photo/VCG]

A hospital in Beijing has been ordered to pay 40,000 yuan ($5,800) as compensation for the birth of a disabled baby, after a series of uncertain prenatal checkups, according to The Mirror, a local newspaper on Monday.

The Changping District Court ruled that the hospital, the name of which was not revealed to the public, did not clearly inform the pregnant woman, surnamed Gao, that ultrasound tests were not always 100 percent accurate. Therefore, the hospital should pay 40,000 yuan to cover the costs of bringing up a disabled child.

Gao underwent six ultrasound scans prior to delivery in the hospital in 2012, with all scans showing the fetus was in good condition. However, Gao found her baby's fingers were not developed on its right hand when she gave birth in 2013.

Along with her husband, Gao took her case against the hospital to the Changping District Court, saying the hospital had neither fulfilled its responsibility to make correct antenatal diagnoses or give sufficient medical care. In court, Gao also claimed that the hospital had violated her reproductive rights.

Responding to the accusations, the hospital defended itself by saying that the failure to detect the child's disability was caused by the ultrasound device being incapable of detecting the fingers undeveloped.

However, an appraisal done by the Institute of Forensic Medicine and Science in Beijing refuted the hospital's argument, which says ultrasound technology is likely to detect deformities in the hands or feet of fetuses, but results can be affected by the limitations of some devices.

Having looked up Gao's medical record, the Changping District Court judged the hospital did not fulfill its duty to let the patient know the potential risks that the machine might not be completely accurate, and did not let the patient sign any consent form before accepting the tests. Therefore, the hospital should be liable over its faults in carrying out the ultrasound scans, and pay child support to the couple.