Key Points:
Gujarat High Court issued notices in alleged antenatal care negligence case.
Petitioner claims doctors skipped NT scan during pregnancy in late 2021.
Triple Marker Test reportedly showed high-risk pregnancy.
Doctors informed family in May 2022 that baby was a girl with Down Syndrome.
Later tests confirmed the child was male with multiple health complications.
Gujarat Medical Council issued caution despite expert committee noting negligence.
Next High Court hearing scheduled for March 9, 2026.
Ahmedabad, Gujarat: The Gujarat High Court has issued notices to doctors and medical authorities after a petitioner accused medical practitioners at a local maternity and nursing home of serious negligence, including misidentifying a newborn’s gender and failing to act on high-risk prenatal test results. The court has scheduled the next hearing for March 9, 2026.
The petitioner told the High Court that during her pregnancy, which began in late 2021, doctors failed to follow essential antenatal (connected with the care of pregnant women) protocols. She alleged that physicians dismissed her repeated complaints of low blood pressure and denied requests for closer monitoring, describing her symptoms as routine pregnancy-related issues.
According to her petition, doctors did not perform a Nuchal Translucency scan, a screening test used in early pregnancy to detect chromosomal abnormalities and structural concerns in the fetus.
The petitioner stated that after she insisted on further evaluation, doctors conducted a Triple Marker Test. She claimed the results indicated a high-risk pregnancy, but she was not properly informed about the findings.
In May 2022, she delivered at the same facility. Doctors reportedly informed the family that she had given birth to a baby girl with Down Syndrome.
After discharge, the parents observed unusual growth in the child’s genital area and sought evaluation from other specialists. Subsequent testing reportedly confirmed that the child was male.
The petition further stated that the child was diagnosed with multiple medical conditions, including:
Two cardiac septal defects
Pulmonary fluid accumulation
Epilepsy
The petitioner argued that had she been properly informed about the high-risk screening results, she would have considered terminating the pregnancy in accordance with legal provisions.
Following these developments, the woman filed complaints with local police, a consumer forum, and the Gujarat Medical Council.
The Gujarat Medical Council appointed an expert committee to examine the matter. According to the petition, the committee’s report held the doctors responsible for negligence. However, the council issued only a caution to the practitioners.
The petitioner also alleged that the council did not grant her an opportunity to be heard during its proceedings.
After hearing the matter, the Gujarat High Court issued notices to the concerned doctors and medical regulatory authorities. The case is now listed for further hearing on March 9, 2026.
(Rh/ARC)
