NIFLA Advises US Crisis Pregnancy Centers Against Ultrasounds for Suspected Ectopic Pregnancies

The National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA), a major support group for crisis pregnancy centers, has advised its member clinics to avoid performing prenatal ultrasounds on women suspected of having ectopic pregnancies due to the significant medical and legal risks involved. This guidance follows a 2023 lawsuit against Clearway Clinic in Massachusetts, where a woman’s ectopic pregnancy was allegedly misdiagnosed, leading to a life-threatening emergency and subsequent settlement in 2024. NIFLA representatives have cautioned against advertising that promises to rule out ectopic pregnancies without the use of HCG blood tests, emphasizing the diagnostic limitations of ultrasounds alone. Meanwhile, in Florida, Republican Rep. Kat Cammack revealed that she nearly died after hospital staff hesitated to treat her ectopic pregnancy because of the state's six-week abortion ban and fears of legal repercussions. The Trump administration's rescindment of Biden's 2022 directive on abortion in emergency medical situations has further complicated medical care for ectopic pregnancies, creating uncertainty among doctors about their legal liability despite ongoing enforcement of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act. This confluence of restrictive laws, legal risks, and unclear medical guidelines has placed ectopic pregnancy treatment in a precarious position, risking patient safety and complicating clinical decision-making.