Hidden Pregnancy

Because the risks of certain medications and diagnostic procedures are not fully understood, doctors are especially cautious when treating pregnant women, frequently altering prescriptions or deferring them altogether until after delivery. In the first month or two, however, some women are unaware that they have conceived. That ignorance can be costly, both to the fetus, which may be damaged by drugs or X rays, and to the physician or hospital, which may later be sued for malpractice. To avoid such problems, some doctors now recommend that all women of child-bearing age be tested routinely for pregnancy in a doctor's office or when admitted to a hospital. The experience of two hospitals that have done this on a trial basis supports the proposal. Screening of 292 patients at New York City's Lenox Hill Hospital found 13 unsuspected pregnancies; tests on 290 women at Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center identified twelve.

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