How a Birth Injury May Have Occurred During a Post-Term Delivery ...

A birth injury lawyer may be necessary if you or your newborn is harmed while resolving a post-term pregnancy. One of the most common cases of injury during a post-term (after 42 weeks) delivery is the use of operative vaginal delivery methods.

The Basics of a Birth Injury During Operative Vaginal Delivery

An operative vaginal delivery is when outside intervention is necessary to deliver a baby when the mother is actively in labor. Because in many cases of post-term pregnancy labor must be induced, operative vaginal deliveries are also quite common.

There are two main types of operative vaginal delivery procedures, forceps and vacuum extraction. These operative vaginal deliveries can pose risk to both mother and child and increase the chance of injury when medical staff is negligent.

An operative vaginal delivery is often used when the mother?s natural contractions do not begin the birthing process and there is risk of distress to the fetus. This is common with larger than normal fetuses or post-term pregnancies where labor was induced by medication.

Risks of Vacuum and Forceps Extraction

A vacuum-assisted operative vaginal delivery is where a soft suction cup is used with a vacuum system to apply gentile suction to a baby?s scalp to help assist the mother in a vaginal birth. The suction allows the doctor to hold the baby?s head in place between contractions to avoid retraction into the birth canal.

The cup can leave bruising or swelling on a newborn?s sensitive scalp, but can also cause severe cranial damage in some cases. If the suction pressure was too high or if there was any blunt head trauma during the birthing process your newborn could suffer an intracranial hemorrhage.

Forceps-assisted operative vaginal delivery is often much more traumatic and involves the use of spoon or tong-like devices to help position and maneuver the fetus. Forceps can cause blunt trauma to the baby?s head or abnormal pulling or twisting of the neck and shoulders, which could lead to brachial plexus injuries or Erb?s palsy.

Both of these methods also pose a risk to the mother as well. Tearing of the mother?s vagina, perineum, or rectum can occur and in some cases an episiotomy is necessary to open up the vagina for an easier insertion of forceps. Additional medication and anesthesia is often necessary for these operative vaginal delivery procedures, which can increase risk of medication errors.

Alternatives to Operative Vaginal Delivery to Avoid Injury

Your doctor should carefully monitor your pregnancy to determine your risk of a post-term delivery. If there is a sign that this may present issues, your doctor has a duty to explore options to avoid this situation and advise you accordingly.

If a post-term delivery is unavoidable, your doctor should explain all of your options. Failure to perform a timely cesarean section or offer this as an option could lead to a serious life-altering injury.

Trust a Birth Injury Lawyer with Your Family?s Claim

If you or your newborn have suffered significant damage due to a negligent doctor performing an operative vaginal delivery, a lawyer should be your first contact before filing a medical malpractice claim.

At The Becker Law Firm, our attorneys and staff are here to provide your family with the full service and care after suffering damages due to medical malpractice. From our offices in Cleveland and Elyria, we serve clients all throughout Ohio and have also helped victims in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Illinois. We offer FREE consultations, as well as home or hospital visits when needed. All it takes is a visit to our website or a phone call to contact us ? 877-863-6219.

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