The day has arrived. Your baby is overdue, and your water finally broke. You and your spouse travel to the hospital with the expectation of a smooth delivery for mother and infant. But several minutes after arriving in the labor and delivery room, complications set in. You sense it. Although you have been given anesthesia, you are fully conscious and alert. But in listening to the delivery team, you know something has gone wrong.
The risks of childbirth are plenty, sometimes endangering the health of the mother and infant. In extreme cases, the umbilical cord wraps around the child’s neck, leading to oxygen deprivation. Or a stroke strikes down the mother. Some childbirth injuries occur in uncontrollable situations, while others are caused by the negligence of the delivery team of physicians, nurses and support staff.
Coping with a childbirth injury
You longed for the birth of a healthy baby and that you as the mother came through the delivery without any difficulties. But it did not happen. Now, you discover that many childbirth injuries are preventable. Among the common childbirth injuries that can strike the infant and mother include:
- Oxygen deprivation can lead to serious brain injury to the infant. The result could be raising a child with cerebral palsy or one with recurring seizures.
- The infant sustaining fractures often caused by a physician who pulled excessively hard in delivery. The mother can experience pelvic fractures.
- Severe nerve damage to the infant. Such an injury may limit the mobility of the infant’s arms and hands as well as cause facial paralysis.
- Blood clots leading to strokes, internal organ damage and heart attacks to the mother.
- Brain hemorrhages occurring to the mother.
- Severe vaginal tears and urinary continence to the mother.
Many childbirths occur without any problems. Sadly, some do occur with severe complications. The result is that some families now must raise a child with severe physical and developmental disabilities. In many cases, the injuries experienced by the infant or mother were preventable.
