Baby's Malformations Raise Alarm Over Portugal's Prenatal Care Standards
A recent case of a baby born with severe malformations, undetected during CT scans, has raised concerns about the standards of prenatal care in Portugal. The incident has sparked investigations and debates among medical professionals.
The Society of Ultrasound in Medicine (SIC) has confirmed that it lacks inspection powers, highlighting a gap in regulation. Meanwhile, legal processes are underway against the doctors involved, who failed to spot the baby's malformations during routine CT scans.
SIC has struggled to interview the responsible parties at the clinic and the doctors at the centre of the controversy. The Portuguese Medical Association (Ceraque) acknowledges that while CT technology has advanced, not all abnormalities can be detected. However, the president of the Medical Association has stated that doctors who miss severe malformations should not be performing CT scans.
Adding to the concern, the two doctors responsible for the scans do not hold the specific specialization in obstetric CT, despite their specialty being listed on the association's website. Álvaro Cohen, president of the college of obstetric CT specialists, disagrees with Ceraque's stance on the limits of CT detection. Cohen was instrumental in creating the obstetric CT specialization following a similar case in the past.
The incident has brought to light several issues in Portugal's prenatal care system, including regulatory gaps and potential shortcomings in medical training. As investigations continue, the medical community is urged to review and strengthen its practices to ensure the highest standards of care for pregnant women and their unborn children.
