Photos During Delivery Banned

Many familes will be disappointed and somewhat upset to learn that an increasing number of hospitals have been banning the use of video cameras when it comes to deliveries.

Meritus Medical Center in the US was just one of the many hospitals to adopt this policy which prohibits both still photography as well as video recording of any kind when it comes to deliveries until five minutes after the woman has given birth.

The claim is that cameras distract the doctors and makes it more difficult for them to do their jobs and bring out the children safely into the world. The prohibition of video recording and still photography is also for the sake of patient privacy. (to the best of my knowledge the patient has had control of who is in the delivery room and what's happening - until now atleast, when their right to have it recorded has been removed). The hospital’s policy is that if everything is okay and the child and mother are healthy, videotaping as well as the snapping of photos is allowed.

Although this is not the policy in every hospital across the country, it is catching on. Is it patient safety or fear of lawsuits in instances where the outcome is less than ideal? Share your thoughts.