Why Do Fewer Maternity Units Mean More Risk for Expecting Mothers?
When there are fewer maternity units, there are fewer opportunities for expectant mothers to get good care. In an emergency, they can be forced to either go to the nearest emergency room to deliver or drive long distances to hospitals with maternity wards. Neither of these choices are ideal.
At the local emergency room, the hospital probably won’t have a neonatal unit and other facilities to provide proper care. Emergency room doctors may have less training to deal with issues that could occur before, during, or after delivery. This can be especially true for women with high-risk pregnancies. And in situations where babies are in distress during labor.
Pregnant women who must drive to a birthing facility may not get there in time. They could end up giving birth in the car on the way. If they do make it to a hospital with obstetric and neonatal care, they may find that overcrowding is an issue. Doctors and other healthcare staff may be tired and overworked.
With fewer maternity units comes fewer doctors, nurses, and other providers of obstetric care seeing more patients and the potential rise for more mistakes to be made.
Medical Malpractice Risks
Numerous things can go wrong in childbirth. When adequate medical care is scarce, the risk of providers not recognizing issues or treating problems improperly and causing injuries arises.
Here are some examples of things that can happen during labor and childbirth that may results in legal claims:
- Improper use of forceps causing fractures or head injuries
- Use of vacuum extractors resulting in bleeding in the brain
- Fetal distress in the womb going undetected and causing brain damage
- Nerve damage when babies are pulled roughly through the birth canal
- Cerebral palsy or Erb’s palsy caused by nerve damage
- Stroke in mother during labor because of a sudden and untreated spike in blood pressure
If a medical malpractice case is proven, you could collect compensation for your injuries. Damages you could potentially receive include payment of medical bills, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and more.
Wrongful Death Suits
When mothers or babies die due to childbirth injuries, doctors, hospitals, and other providers may be held responsible and compensate the victim’s family for wrongful death.
You should recognize that not every case of birth injury or death in childbirth equals medical malpractice. Sometimes, good care may have been provided but injury or death still occurred.
To be successful in a medical malpractice suit for injury or a wrongful death claim, it must be shown that the healthcare provider failed to deliver the expected standard of care that another doctor would have in a similar situation.
Our experienced medical malpractice and wrongful death attorney can review your case and advise you of your legal options.
