Birth Injuries Due To Delayed C-Sections

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When giving birth, women can choose to have a natural birth or a cesarean section (C-section) instead. A C-section is a method used to deliver a baby through an incision that is made through the mother’s stomach and uterus. While some C-Sections are chosen, others are medically necessary, and known as emergency C-sections. Those typically happen when your doctor detects some sign of fetal distress which indicates the baby’s health may be in danger. It can also happen if the mother’s health is at risk. In order to detect fetal distress, doctors and nurses monitor both mother and baby by attaching monitoring strips to the mother’s stomach which tracks both of their heart rates.

Reasons for an unplanned or emergency C-section include:

• Maternal distress
  • Hemorrhage
  • Non-progressing labor
  • Heart complications
    • Hypertension
    • Tachycardia
  • Complications due to previous C-sections or natural birth
• Fetal distress
  • Transverse or breech birth
  • Irregular heartbeat
  • Issues with the umbilical cord including it being wrapped around the baby’s neck
  • The size of the baby
  • Other issues that indicate a potential loss of oxygen.

It is the job of doctors and nurses to detect distress and irregularities promptly and accurately and to act immediately. They are required to make a quick decision on whether to perform a C-section as the window to avoid complications is narrow. The longer they wait, the greater the risk of serious harm. A traditional birth is typically not possible the moment irregularities are identified. An emergency C-section is required to be performed within minutes of detection in most cases. A failure to detect distress or to perform an emergency c-section could lead to serious consequences and potentially a lawsuit.

Possible birth complications of a delayed c-section include:

• Brain damage
• Cerebral Palsy
• Erb’s Palsy
• Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)
• Developmental delays such as difficulty walking or speaking
• Organ damage

Why Did This Happen And What Do I Do Next?

While every case is different, birth injuries from a delayed C-section usually happen for one of the following reasons:

• An error occurred with the fetal monitoring system
• Your doctor failed to note your health issues
• Your doctor failed to continuously monitor you
• Your doctor failed to listen when you stated discomfort or pain
• The attending physician did not look at or understand your medical history

Whatever the reason, if you or your child are injured during a birth, you should contact an experienced birth injury lawyer who can review your medical records to see if they can prove negligence. Some of these injuries require lifetime care and can be worth tens of millions of dollars. There are very few law firms with the track record needed on these complex lawsuits and we will make sure you get with the right one for you. If you would like our help in finding the best birth injury attorney in Illinois for your case, we’d be happy to help. It’s always free to talk to our lawyers and while we can’t promise a result, we promise to treat you like a family member or friend and do whatever we can to help you. Call us any time at (312) 346-5320.