Expectant mothers feeling the pain of contractions will rush to the hospital to secure the support of medical professionals during labor and delivery. For most women, delivery at the hospital will improve their chances of a healthy birth and a quick recovery.
For a small minority of patients, failures by the medical professionals overseeing the birth lead to a tragic outcome. Birth injuries still occur in modern hospitals and leave families struggling to provide for a child with special needs. Why do birth injuries still affect families despite advances in medicine?
HOSPITAL STAFF DOESN’T MONITOR THE CHILD
One of the most important advances in obstetric medicine is fetal heart rate monitoring. Hospitals have equipment that allows their staff to track the heart rate of both mother and unborn child.
Significant changes in heart rate could be an indication of fetal distress and a warning that staff should intervene quickly to prevent permanent injury. Without proper monitoring, hospital staff might overlook warning signs of a possible complication and a birth injury.
STAFF MEMBERS EMPLOY THE WRONG INTERVENTIONS
From forceps to Cesarean sections, many medical treatments can help with the labor and delivery process. A doctor assisting a woman during birth needs to analyze the situation and help her deliver the child in a safe way.
If they make the wrong call about what interventions they provide, the outcome could be tragic for the mother and child. Using medications in an unsafe manner and intervening when it is not medically necessary can do more harm than good for mother and child.
If you suspect that a mistake by the doctor resulted in a birth injury, you may have grounds for a legal claim. Pursuing a medical malpractice claim can help affected families get justice for a preventable birth injury.
