Vaginal Breech Delivery
Three to four percent of all full-term pregnancies result in a breech birth, where an infant’s feet enter the birth canal first. Vaginal breech births are dangerous because they can starve the infant of oxygen.
It is common for the umbilical cord to become compressed during any birth, but when the baby presents head first, oxygen is available as soon as the infant’s head exits the birth canal. For breech births, a compressed cord means the infant cannot get enough oxygen because the head remains in the birth canal.
Breech Birth Prevention
The chance of a breech birth increases when the infant is born prematurely. Doctors are expected to perform routine prenatal tests and exams to determine if the baby is in the breech position before labor begins. This gives the patient and doctor time to discuss a potential c-section delivery or attempting to turn the infant so that the mother might give birth vaginally.
If the doctor fails to identify a breech position before labor occurs, many complications can occur. The baby must be delivered quickly to avoid brain damage from a potentially compressed cord that may cut off the child’s supply of blood and oxygen.
Dangers of Vaginal Breech Delivery
A vaginal breech delivery can be dangerously delayed if the infants head catches inside the mother. A compressed cord, coupled with a delay in delivery creates a serious risk that the infant may suffer life-altering brain damage. Because of this, doctors are expected to exercise care and caution when presented with an unexpected breech delivery. A c-section may be the safest option for the child.
Obstetricians have more experience and training than midwives or family doctors in the proper way to deal with high-risk deliveries, but they still can make mistakes. To find out the truth about your infant’s birth injury, it is best to have a trained and skilled professional review all of the medical records.
Contact Us
If birth trauma occurred to your baby during a breech delivery, you have the right to know if negligence was a factor. The experienced medical malpractice attorneys and Shapiro Law Group will help you get to the truth and hold those at fault accountable for their negligence. Contact us today.
