For Massachusetts families, welcoming a new baby is supposed to be a joyous time. People are often looking forward to meeting and celebrating the new member of their family. However, as many people realize, birth can be unpredictable. In any situation, a variety of complications can arise. Therefore, pregnant women, and especially laboring mothers, need to be closely monitored by medical professionals.
In some cases, a baby cannot be born vaginally but a Cesarean section must be performed. While C-sections are fairly common in Massachusetts, people may still wonder if there are any risks associated with this complicated abdominal surgery.
In fact, there are risks to both the mother and the baby. When undergoing a C-section, mothers are having major surgery with very real risks. These risks include the risk of infection, reactions to the anesthesia and for increased bleeding. Mothers that have undergone a C-section are also at a higher risk for blood clots which can be life-threatening if it travels to a person’s lungs. Additionally, there is the risk for surgical injury and mistakes caused by the doctor that performs the surgery. These risks include an injury to other organs which could result in the need for additional surgery.
The baby also faces risk of surgical injury. During the C-section, it is possible for the baby to suffer from cuts to the baby’s body. Another major risk to the baby is breathing problems. Baby’s that are born via C-section have a higher rate of breathing issues than babies that are born vaginally. In particular, babies are at risk of transient tachypnea which causes them to breathe too quickly for a time after birth.
Massachusetts parents should know that a C-section is a major medical event. If mistakes are made and a birth injury occurs, the medical staff or hospital might be liable. While the information in this post is just informational, an attorney can provide specific legal advice following a birth injury.
Source: Mayo Clinic, “C-section Risks,” accessed on Feb. 2, 2015
