Most births proceed well on their own. There is nothing more natural than childbirth. Unfortunately, the large brains and long gestation periods of human infants make labor and delivery a relatively risky undertaking. As such, medical interventions are sometimes necessary.
In scenarios where the infant is in a breach position or there are other complications, health care providers may need to intervene to ensure a safe and healthy birth process. A Cesarean section or C-section involves the surgical completion of birth for the protection of the mother and child. Typically, best practices include carefully monitoring the status of the mother and her unborn child throughout the active labor process to detect signs of fetal distress as early as possible.
That way, doctors can complete an emergency C-section quickly when it is necessary. Unfortunately, the failure to monitor the labor or to react appropriately to signs of fetal distress might result in significant delays when a C-section is necessary.
How might a delay in surgical intervention contribute to the risk of a birth injury?
Every minute counts when there are oxygen issues
Frequently, fetal distress during labor occurs because the baby does not receive what it needs for safety from the mother. Movements during contractions might put pressure on the umbilical cord or lead to the cord wrapping around the child’s neck.
In those scenarios, the infant experiences distress as it does not receive adequate oxygen. It only takes roughly five minutes of ongoing oxygen deprivation for brain damage to be a serious medical concern. The longer that health care professionals delay a C-section, the more likely the unborn infant is to sustain preventable and permanent injuries that have catastrophic consequences for the whole family.
Cerebral palsy and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) are examples of lifelong medical conditions that may begin because of brain damage sustained during the labor and delivery process. Health care professionals monitor unborn infants so that they can intervene as quickly as possible when things go wrong.
Showing that other medical professionals may have been able to prevent birth injuries by performing a C-section sooner could help parents develop a medical malpractice claim. Pursuing compensation for preventable birth injuries can help families cover their expenses and can prompt health care professionals to change how they practice medicine.