Labor and delivery can be dangerous for both mother and child. While it is a natural process, there are hundreds of things that can go wrong and lead to injury or even death.
Medical professionals monitor the labor process and intervene when they notice signs of complications or distress in either mother or child. Most of the time, the interventions performed by physicians help, but not always.
Sometimes, steps taken during labor and delivery can produce worse outcomes for mothers and their babies. Below are three interventions and how they can be harmful.
Forceps and vacuum extraction can cause multiple issues
During a standard, vaginal delivery, many things can complicate the process. The mother could become exhausted and struggle to push. The infant might turn or become stuck.
Doctors can sometimes facilitate the delivery process either by using a specialized vacuum extraction system or birthing forceps to guide the child out of the birth canal. In both cases, these interventions can cause tearing and similar injuries to the mother and can cause issues like eye damage or nerve damage in the child.
Medications used in labor can cause problems
Doctors can use a number of different drugs to help with labor. There are drugs that can relieve pain, relax muscles, speed up contractions and help the mother’s cervix dilate. Using these medications before they become necessary or using drugs not approved for administration in pregnant women can lead to complications that can sometimes prove fatal.
Surgical deliveries can lead to injury or death
A C-section or surgical delivery and save the life of mother and child when something goes very wrong during birth. However, no operation comes without risk. C-sections, especially when medically unnecessary, can cause complications that injure mother or child.
Anyone negatively affected by either an appropriately applied or unnecessary medical intervention during labor may be able to take legal action against the medical care providers involved in the delivery that produced a serious birth injury. An experienced attorney can help.