YouTuber and food vlogger Irfan’s latest video of his newborn in an operation theatre (OT) has set off debates on and off social media. With the incident raising certain questions on current practices in private hospitals, safety, and ethical concerns, some of Chennai’s senior obstetrician-gynaecologists delve into the intricacies involved.
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Kanimozhi N.V.N. Somu, obstetrician and gynaecologist and Rajya Sabha Member, said there was no hard and fast rule on whether a husband should or should not be allowed into a labour room. It solely depended on the doctor’s discretion. However this was not a right that could be availed of by patient or attender. “The emergence of boutique hospitals and the concept of birthing suites over the past two decades brought in the culture of allowing husbands into the delivery room for vaginal deliveries. If the woman ends up having a a caesarean section, the doctor and hospital alone can decide on this,” she said.
Jaishree Gajaraj, senior consultant, obstetrician and gynaecologist, said: “For a vaginal delivery, more and more doctors are now allowing husbands into the labour room. However, I am not comfortable with allowing a man to enter the operation theatre as he could be intimidated by the wires and monitors. If a woman is awake during a caesarean section — under spinal anaesthesia — then her partner can be allowed as she is aware, and her respect for privacy is maintained. If she is under general anaesthesia, only medical and paramedical personnel are allowed. We need clarity on this aspect. This used to be the practice when I worked in the United Kingdom; allow the man in if a woman is awake, and an absolute ‘no’ if she is not. At times, a husband is allowed to sit by her head for emotional support after she is draped.”
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Some doctors do allow husbands to cut the umbilical cord, if they ask, in case of vaginal deliveries, they added.
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Obstetrics is no longer seen as a pathological condition, but is looked at as a normal physiological process, added Dr. Kanimozhi. “As a result, a number of hospitals do allow husbands into the labour room as a source of encouragement for their wives as well as to be aware of the pain she undergoes. Allowing/restricting husbands at OTs during caesarean sections is based on the doctor and hospital’s discretion. An OT is a critical area and needs to be sterile. It is a dicey situation as husbands may not be able to cope in an OT, where a surgery is being performed. This is a debatable question.” she said.
“We must remember that letting husbands enter puts tremendous pressure on the doctors as not all men will be compatible [with the setting]. Taking a video of the procedure and posting it on social media sets the wrong example. We allow a husband into the delivery room to give confidence to his wife. It doesn’t mean that he can take photographs and videos and post them on social media. This needs permission from the medical fraternity as it shows the entire OT, the doctor, nurse, and procedure. Ethically, their signed consent for this should have been obtained,” Dr. Kanimozhi emphasised.
Dr. Jaishree also underlined that proper consent was essential to record videos, and that consent should be obtained from hospital managements and the surgeon concerned. There is a need for certain formalities, she added. “Above all, it is crucial to maintain asepsis in the OT. That a person scrubs in for one day is not enough. If an infection occurs, who will take responsibility,” she asked.
Reiterating that husbands are only allowed into labour rooms and not OTs at many hospitals, S. Vijaya, president, Obstetric and Gynaecological Society of Southern India, said no non-medical person should be allowed to enter an OT. “It is a sterile environment, and the uterus is open during a caesarean section, and we take utmost care to prevent infections to the mother,” she pointed out.