(Columbia) March 2, 2004 - Photos of baby faces represent years of wonderful memories for Ob-Gyn Alexander Smythe. The Columbia doctor has delivered thousands of babies during a career that spans two decades, "Just being there when they have their first child or their second child or the boy or girl they always wanted."

He may have to stop delivering babies. Ob-Gyn's have been hit hard by lawsuits in South Carolina. Malpractice insurance premiums have gone up 30%. The premium three-years-ago was around $50,000 at Smythe's practice with seven doctors. This year it was more than $300,000, "I would hate to think we would have to give that up because we can't afford to practice medicine in the way we've been trained."

It could leave his patients without a doctor and delivering brochures to his patients to let them know what's going on, "I ask them to think about us. Think about the babies we've delivered. I ask them to get on the phone, call their congressman, their senator and tell them they want us around."

By Catherine Reynolds
Posted 10:54pm by BrettWitt