While many childbirth injuries to mothers are a natural unavoidable occurrence, some injuries are preventable and are caused, or made worse, due to mistakes by midwives or doctors, during the pregnancy, labor, or delivery.
Childbirth Injuries Statistics
Studies have found that many mothers do not report any issues, sometimes for years after giving birth, due to their desire to “keep things quiet” or “hope it will get better.” Most medical providers will most likely not admit to a mistake. A long term study has found that between 25% and 40% of patients will have a birth injury if you look for it, indicating the issue is more widespread than anyone believes.
Common Childbirth Injuries to Mothers
Some of the most common types of childbirth injuries to mothers include:
Vaginal / perineal tears during childbirth – This trauma injury typically affects 9 out of 10 women. More serious tears, 3rd and 4th degree tears, which happen in 3% of vaginal deliveries, require repair, take longer to heal and may have long-term life-impacting effects.
If you suffer a perineal tear, your providers should identify the tear at delivery and manage it correctly. Complications from vaginal / perineal tears include:
- Incontinence of bowel
- Rectovaginal Fistula – a serious tear resulting in a hole in the wall between your vagina and your anus, which can cause stool to pass through into the vagina
- Pain and soreness – the tear may make it difficult for you to sit for a long time, or return to your prior active lifestyle
- Stinging pain when passing urine
- Pain during sexual intercourse
- Scarring
- Surgical repair may be required
Nerve damage – Nerves in the perineal area may be damaged during delivery which can lead to painful pudendal neuralgia.
Ruptured Uterus – It is critical that doctors and midwives diagnose and treat a uterine rupture promptly. A ruptured uterus is a medical emergency, posing risk of serious life-threatening damage to the health of the mother and her baby. While this condition can occur with a first time delivery, the risk is higher for a mother who has had a caesarean delivery in the past, and is a possible complication the medical staff should be alert to.
Post-Partum Hemorrhage (PPH) – PPH is dangerous abnormally heavy bleeding within 24-hours after delivery (Primary PPH), or up to 6-weeks from delivery (Secondary PPH). PPH occurs in 2% to 5% of deliveries. If you suffered a post-partum hemorrhage and are concerned about the medical care you received in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of this condition, you may be able to make a birth injury claim.
Attorney for Childbirth Injuries to Mother
If you believe that you may have suffered a birth injury, think that your labor and delivery may have been mismanaged, or a mistake made during your care which caused the problem, you might have a medical negligence claim. Childbirth injuries to mothers are very personal and often kept quiet. For a sensitive consultation please call attorney Joel Baskin for a confidential meeting.