C-Section Medical Malpractice

The United States National Library of Medicine reports that the first recorded and reliable account of a successful caesarean section comes from the year 1500.  Of course medicine today is much more advanced and child birthing techniques have been standardized.  But of course, they are far from perfect.

Even though the overwhelming percentage of all child births occur without mistakes taking place, errors still happen.  Experienced medical malpractice attorneys know that many of these mistakes could have been prevented had the birthing staff followed accepted medical standards of care.

The medical profession itself has set the standards by which medical professionals must follow when determining the need for a mother to give birth via caesarean section, during the procedure itself, and in treating the mother and child after the procedure is complete.

Doctors, assistants, nurses, and other medical professionals are trained to detect uterine tears, umbilical cord damage, separated placentas, breech position babies, and other uterine defects that could necessitate the need for delivering a baby through caesarean section.  The expectant mother might have a pre existing condition that deserves to deliver a baby in this manner and medical professionals should be thoroughly reviewing the patient’s medical history to see if there is such a need.

If a mother should have had a caesarean section but did not because a medical professional failed to diagnose or misdiagnosed any of the above medical issues, the injuries suffered by the mother and baby there from are compensable via civil litigation.

The effects of these failures could impact the mother and child for life.  In fact, pre-natal defects are known to kill mothers and babies if not timely detected.  If the family survives, the child could suffer brain damage, brachial plexus, fetal asphyxia, and or cerebral palsy.

Preventable mistakes occur during the procedure as well.  For example, the mother’s other internal organs may be accidentally punctured.  Such could lead to organ failure, excessive bleeding, increased risk for infection, and the mother’s need to undergo additional procedures; procedures that would not have been necessary had the medical professionals not committed negligence.

Patient treatment after the procedure must be followed in accordance with accepted medical standards.  Although caesarean section births are routine in modern medicine, they are nonetheless a significant medical event.  The patient will need unique post surgical care that other mothers who gave vaginal birth did not need.

If the baby and or mother are harmed, and another similarly situated doctor practicing medicine in the same field and community would not have done what the offending doctor did, the injured patients can sue the negligent doctor for any damages proximately caused by the negligent act.

But what do you think?  I would love to hear from you!  Leave a comment or I also welcome your phone call on my toll-free cell at 1-866-889-6882 or you can drop me an e-mail at jfisher@fishermalpracticelaw.com.  You are always welcome to request my FREE book, The Seven Deadly Mistakes of Malpractice Victims, at the home page of my website at www.protectingpatientrights.com.