Women in Louisiana and beyond rely heavily upon their medical teams to have safe and healthy pregnancies, labors and deliveries. The average obstetrician knows how to recognize certain symptoms that would place a mother or her infant in a high-risk category for illness or injury. Sadly, many birth injuries occur when doctors, nurses or other medical team members fail in their duties to keep pregnant women and their babies, safe.
C-sections often save lives
Performing a cesarean section is often a scheduled event that an obstetrician orders for a patient. In many situations, however, a C-section is an emergency procedure that is performed when symptoms arise in a mother or unborn child that show medical distress. The average labor and delivery physician knows how to recognize signs that suggest that a C-section is needed. An obstetrician must be able to think fast and take action when a mother’s or baby’s health or safety is at risk.
Reasons to order an emergency C-section
Each woman’s pregnancy, labor and delivery are unique in accordance with her health, medical background and symptoms that may arise leading up to, during or following a child’s birth. Some of the most common reasons that obstetricians determine a need for an emergency C-section include:
- Labor has lasted too long without adequate progression
- Umbilical cord becomes tangled around the baby
- Mother’s blood pressure gets too high
- Placenta separates from the lining of the womb
Each of these issues has potential to quickly develop into a life-threatening situation for either the mother or her child. An obstetrician is trained to recognize signs of distress and to take appropriate action to keep women and babies safe. Substandard care often results in birth injuries to mothers and children. Many parents wind up seeking compensation for damages when evidence shows that medical malpractice was a direct cause of injury to a mother or infant.
