Wrongful Birth of Disabled Child Held Actionable in Iowa

Parents of a severely disabled child can sue Iowa medical providers who failed to tell them of abnormalities detected before the baby was born (Plowman v. Fort Madison Cmty. Hosp., 2017 BL 185663, Iowa, 15-0974, 6/2/17).

The Iowa Supreme Court, in a somewhat surprising decision for the conservative state, June 2 recognized a cause of action for wrongful birth. All but one of the state court’s justices said a wrongful birth claim fits within common law tort principles governing medical negligence claims, and no public policy or statute precluded this cause of action.

The majority of states to ...