Many women die due to pregnancy-related causes, some of which are completely preventable. Whereas the number of mothers who experience birth injuries is widely unknown, these women often suffer chronic pain and psychological trauma that has long-lasting ramifications. These effects can prevent a person from having a meaningful life, being consumed by physical pain and emotional distress.
If you have experienced an injury during the birthing process, you need to speak with our Harrisburg birth injuries attorneys immediately.
Maternal Conditions & Injuries
During delivery, a mother may experience any of the following injuries:
Preeclampsia
Preeclampsia is a condition that is associated with high blood pressure and protein in a mother’s urine, typically occurring after 20 weeks of pregnancy but also occurring after giving birth. Untreated preeclampsia can result in the mother suffering liver failure, kidney failure, and/or cardiovascular issues. If left untreated, it may result in eclampsia, which is characterized by the onset of seizures or coma in the mother.
Vaginal Tearing
Vaginal tearing is a tearing of the perineum, often caused by an infant that is too large to fit through the vaginal opening during delivery. If infant size is the cause, the physician may be found negligent for not ordering a C-section.
Some women may elect to have an episiotomy, an incision that would increase the width of the vaginal opening. There is conflicting medical research on the benefits of an episiotomy, so it should only be recommended by a healthcare provider if there is a medical need or if the mother specifically requests the procedure.
Pelvic Organ Prolapse
Pelvic organ prolapse is a weakening of the pelvic floor, causing internal organs to fall out of place, usually caused by prolonged labor. Symptoms may include feelings of pelvic pressure, bulging in the vagina, urinary incontinence, lower back pain, and constipation. When medical negligence is the cause, a physician may be held financially accountable for a mother’s injuries.
Your Right to Take Legal Recourse
Birth injuries to the mother can be caused by a number of reasons, one of which may be a physician’s failure to diagnose fetal distress. Fetal distress is a condition that is indicated by changes in a baby’s heart rate or movement, as well as signs of oxygen deprivation before birth. Fetal distress can have devastating consequences, affecting both the child and mother. A physician who does not check an infant’s vital signs at regular intervals or does not act when the baby is exhibiting a non-reassuring heart rate may be held liable for negligence.
Aggressive Representation from a Harrisburg, PA Birth Injuries to the Mother Attorney
As an expectant parent, you hope that you and your child are in good health following delivery. If a physician failed to diagnose or treat a medical condition you were experiencing properly, our Harrisburg, PA, birth injuries to the mother attorneys want to hear from you. To arrange your free consultation, contact us online or by phone today.