Overlooked Indications Of Umbilical Cord Compression Lead To Childs Brain Damage And A $15.8 Mill
Doctors know that there are various complications that can happen during a woman's
pregnancy and that some of these complications can lead to considerable injuries and even the death of the unborn baby. An umbilical cord compression is an especially considerable risk to the baby. This condition comes up when excessive pressure is placed on the umbilical cord. 2 situations that could cause this problem include the compressing of the umbilical cord if the cord slips into the birth canal as the baby is descending and if the cord ends up wrapping itself around the neck of the baby. The pressure on the cord leads to a restriction of the supply of necessary blood and oxygen.A cord compression often appears as a slowing down of the babys heart rate. The slowing down generally comes in waves or episodes referred to as decelerations. If the babys heart rate drops too low and does not quickly return to normal immediate action needs to be takes to protect the baby from suffering brain damage or death due to the lack of oxygen. Sometimes it is possible to fix the problem by merely repositioning the pregnant woman to lower pressure on the cord, or by giving her oxygen and fluids In those cases where these steps do not eliminate the pressure on the cord, it might become necessary to perform an emergency C-section.
By not timely detecting a cord compression and taking the correct action immediately a physician or nurse might be responsible for a delay that brings about serious harm or even the death of the baby. If this takes place that physician or nurse might be liable in a lawsuit for medical malpractice or wrongful death. In one published lawsuit, an expectant mother, at full term, showed up at the hospital for the planned delivery of her baby. The staff administered Pitocin to induce labor. Following the administration of the drug, the fetal heart rate monitor showed several umbilical cord compressions as decelerations of the unborn babys heart rate. The staff repositioned the woman following which the babys heart rate returned to normal.
At one point, the expectant mother required the use of the bathroom at which point the obstetrics resident disconnected her from the fetal heart rate monitor. The monitor stayed disconnected for a full 11 minutes. During this time, the cord was compressed and the baby's supply of oxygen was significantly restricted. As a result, the baby experienced from asphyxia which left the baby with mental retardation and with cerebral palsy.
No settlement was reached in this claim and so the lawsuit went to trial. During the trial evidence revealed that leaving the fetal heart rate monitor disconected for those 11 minutes after the unborn baby had suffered a series of heart rate decelerations amounted to medical malpractice. Basically, it came with too high a risk that there would be further umbilical cord compressions that would not be identified and therefore would not, and indeed did not, result in the application of additional procedures like more position changes and, if required, an emergency C-section that could have prevented the child from suffering brain damage. The law firm revealed that the jury awarded $15.8 million for the family.
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