3 medical mistakes that can lead to birth injuries during labor

When a woman feels her first contraction really hit or notices that her water broke, her first response is usually to seek skilled medical help. Going straight to the hospital or calling an OB-GYN are the most common responses to the beginning of labor.

Most of the time, skilled medical care will mean an improved prognosis for both baby and mother. However, there are certain things that medical staff might do that could lead to serious harm.

When medical professionals intervene unnecessarily

Birth is largely a natural process, not a disease or medical issue. Many women simply need someone to monitor their progress. Their body will handle the birth with minimal outside input.

Unfortunately, sometimes health care providers try to speed up labor or start it early without medical reasons for doing so. Unnecessary interventions increase the likelihood of complications for mother and child and are something that doctors could avoid.

When medical care providers don’t listen to mom

No one knows her body the way that a woman going through labor does, but medical professionals often ignore women’s self-reported symptoms. Even famous celebrities sometimes have to beg for life-saving care in maternity wards.

When they don’t keep an eye on the baby’s condition

It only takes a few minutes for something to go wrong during labor and disrupt the flow of oxygen to a baby. The longer they go without help, the greater the risk of permanent consequences like brain damage is.

A doctor may fail to start fetal monitoring or may not send staff to check on fetal monitors frequently enough. If they miss the signs of distress, they may not intervene in time to prevent a birth injury. When doctors don’t listen to you, don’t monitor your child or apply the wrong interventions to your birth, your family could suffer catastrophic consequences.

Recognizing some of the many issues that lead to birth injuries can help you explore whether the staff and/or facility involved in your birth could be responsible for the injury to your child.