Cesarean sections (often called C-sections) are often the fastest, and sometimes safest, way to deliver a baby. Unfortunately, a delayed C-section or errors made during the C-section can cause serious injuries and/or death to both the baby and mother. If you or your baby has been injured as a result of a C-section error, an experienced medical malpractice attorney can help you get the compensation you deserve.
In most cases throughout the course of labor and delivery, a fetal monitoring device is connected to the mother to monitor the fetal heart rate. This device can track abnormalities of the heart rate and doctors and medical providers are responsible for keeping close track of the results and reacting quickly if signs of fetal distress indicate a caesarean section should be immediately performed. Sometimes this does not happen and sadly the baby or mother suffers serious injury.
One medical error that can lead to catastrophic birth injuries is a delayed cesarean section (C-section) or cesarean complication. During the delivery process, nurses and doctors must act as a team to quickly respond to any signs of distress to the baby or the mother. If your child’s fetal heart rate is not monitored and the delivery team does not act quickly to perform a C-section, irreparable harm to you or your child can result.
Believing that the rate of c-sections was too high, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists began to encourage a “trial of labor,” allowing an expectant mother to choose whether she would try to deliver her baby vaginally.
- When discussing this option, doctors often told expectant mothers that:
- Most medical studies reported that 60 to 80 percent of all “trials of labor” after a c-section resulted in a successful vaginal birth.
- Vaginal Birth After C-section (VBAC) avoided the risks associated with surgery (infection, anesthesia risk, blood transfusions, longer hospital stays).
If the mother’s condition was carefully monitored, a uterine tear or rupture could be promptly identified and the child could be delivered by c-section.
Experienced Birth Injury Attorneys
When a vaginal birth results in serious harm to the baby, it is reasonable to ask, “Would a C-section have prevented this injury?” Likewise, when a C-section results in an injury to the mother, such as an abdominal adhesion, a hernia or an infection, it’s important to investigate whether the C-section was performed properly.
There are risks associated with cesarean delivery, although low. Mortality for cesarean sections is 20 out of every 1,000,000 deliveries, as compared to 6 out of every 1,000,000 for vaginal deliveries. There are other risks with a c-section, including abdominal adhesions, hernias and infections. In many instances, the remote risks associated with a c-section far outweigh the near absolute potential for harm to a fetus that is not progressing and is suffering from hypoxia or ischemia and acidosis, including hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN), periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), and cerebral palsy. A c-section may also decrease the risk of a traction or torque injury, such as Erb’s palsy or Klumpke’s paralysis.
A c-section, or cesarean section, is when an incision is made through the abdominal wall and then the uterus to allow for an extraction of the fetus through the opening made by the incision. Due to the inherent nature of all surgeries, complications may arise: Anesthesia complications to the mother as well as the baby, excessive bleeding and failure to follow hospital regulations.
When procedures are followed properly, a C-section is performed within 30 minutes of visible signs of distress to the mother or baby in order to avoid trauma. If a C-section is not completed in a timely fashion, a number of devastating birth injuries can occur, including:
- Cerebral palsy
- Erb’s palsy
- Hypoxia
While current medicine and techniques have improved the safety cesarean section deliveries, it is still a dangerous procedure that can pose several problems for the mother and baby. C-section deliveries sometimes lead to:
- Breathing problems for the infant
- Lacerations in the infant’s skin when the incision is made
- Infection in the mother and/or infant
- Premature birth
- Injuries to the infant caused by anesthesia
