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. 2009 Nov-Dec;39(6):34-42.
doi: 10.1353/hcr.0.0211.

Risk and the pregnant body

Anne Drapkin Lyerly  1 , Lisa M Mitchell, Elizabeth Mitchell Armstrong, Lisa H Harris, Rebecca Kukla, Miriam Kuppermann, Margaret Olivia Little
Affiliations

Risk and the pregnant body

Anne Drapkin Lyerly et al. Hastings Cent Rep. 2009 Nov-Dec.

Abstract

Reasoning well about risk is most challenging when a woman is pregnant, for patient and doctor alike. During pregnancy, we tend to note the risks of medical interventions without adequately noting those of failing to intervene, yet when it's time to give birth, interventions are seldom questioned, even when they don't work. Meanwhile, outside the clinic, advice given to pregnant women on how to stay healthy in everyday life can seem capricious and overly cautious. This kind of reasoning reflects fear, not evidence.

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Comment in

  • Risky business.
    DeBruin D, Liaschenko J, Marshall MF. DeBruin D, et al. Hastings Cent Rep. 2010 Jul-Aug;40(4):5-6. Hastings Cent Rep. 2010. PMID: 20669772 No abstract available.
  • Risky business.
    Rothman BK, Tyson H. Rothman BK, et al. Hastings Cent Rep. 2010 Jul-Aug;40(4):6. Hastings Cent Rep. 2010. PMID: 20669773 No abstract available.
  • Risky business.
    Lindemann H. Lindemann H. Hastings Cent Rep. 2010 Jul-Aug;40(4):4. Hastings Cent Rep. 2010. PMID: 20672456 No abstract available.
  • Risky business.
    Wolf JB. Wolf JB. Hastings Cent Rep. 2010 Jul-Aug;40(4):4-5. Hastings Cent Rep. 2010. PMID: 20672457 No abstract available.
  • Risky business.
    Healy D, Mangin D, Mintzes B. Healy D, et al. Hastings Cent Rep. 2010 Jul-Aug;40(4):7. Hastings Cent Rep. 2010. PMID: 20672458 No abstract available.
  • Risky business.
    Wendland C. Wendland C. Hastings Cent Rep. 2010 Jul-Aug;40(4):7-8. Hastings Cent Rep. 2010. PMID: 20672459 No abstract available.

References

    1. True story; anonymized; used with permission of the patient.

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    1. See companion piece to this article, Lyerly AD, et al. Risks, Values, and Decision Making Surrounding Pregnancy. Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2007;109:979–84.

    1. Brent R. Pregnancy Policy. American Journal of Roentgenology. 2004;182:819–21. - PubMed

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