Childbirth is one of the most common and natural medical events in life. Each year, about 4 million parents anticipate the arrival of a new child, and preparations for welcoming a baby can be quite elaborate. However, childbirth is not without its risks, and diligent parents take prenatal care seriously. Expectant mothers may read and research what to expect during the delivery process, and nervous dads may ask advice of seasoned fathers.
While the birth of every child is a unique experience even if you are not a first-time parent, you certainly hope your medical team will not be complacent in the delivery room. A routine birth can quickly turn tragic if doctors and nurses are not alert to signs of distress in you or your baby.
Preventing tragedies
Despite the medical advances the U.S. has made to reduce the rate of infant mortality, many preventable mistakes lead to injury and death during childbirth. If you recently suffered injury or lost a loved one during childbirth, you may have many questions about what went wrong. Frequently, these tragic consequences occur when medical professionals neglect basic tasks during the process, especially keeping track of your blood loss and monitoring your blood pressure. Failing to take these simple steps can lead to the following:
- Strokes
- Bleeding out
- Organ failure
- Irreparable damage to your reproductive organs
- Permanent disability or death of your child
- Permanent disability or death of the mother
Basic procedures include weighing the pads that collect your blood so your medical team is constantly aware of how much blood you have lost. As soon as your blood pressure rises, doctors can administer medication to stabilize it. However, studies show that in medical facilities of all sizes in Louisiana and across the country, doctors fail to take these life-saving steps.
Taking action after your loss
Long before you arrive at the birthing center in labor, your doctor may have made critical errors that placed you and your child in danger. Missing or dismissing symptoms that could lead to complications is far too common. You may have had signs of danger for hours, weeks or months before delivery. If your doctor failed to act, you were left with the tragic consequences.
The inexcusable fact is that other countries are seeing declines in the injuries and deaths of mothers in childbirth because they take these proactive measures. The rate of death and injury for mothers in the U.S. has risen sharply over the past two decades. If you are among those who suffered from a preventable childbirth complication, you have the right to seek justice through the civil courts.
