A Cesarean section (C-section) may not have been part of your birth plan. However, you depended on the nurses and doctors attending to you during labor to recommend a C-section if it was necessary to keep you and your baby safe.
An unplanned or emergency C-section may be necessary, for example, if:
- There is a drop in your baby’s heart rate.
- There are problems with the mother’s blood pressure or heart rate.
- Labor has gone on for more than 24 hours.
- There are other unique or unexpected issues that arise during labor that make a quick delivery important.
While an emergency C-section may prevent your baby from suffering a serious injury, it must happen without delay.
An Unnecessary Delay May Result in a Birth Injury
There are several ways in which a C-section may be wrongfully delayed. For example:
- Nurses may fail to monitor mothers and babies for distress.
- Nurses may fail to communicate concerns to doctors.
- Doctors may fail to take action when they learn of a concern.
- The hospital may not have resources available to perform a C-section right away.
In an emergency situation, your baby should be delivered within 30 minutes of the decision to perform a C-section. A delay in delivering by C-section can result in oxygen deprivation for the baby. Brain damage, cerebral palsy, cognitive delays, or death may result from a delayed delivery.
Get Your Baby Help If a Delayed C-Section Resulted in a Birth Injury
You can’t go back and change what happened, but you can help your baby recover damages for the significant trauma that he has suffered. Compensation in a birth injury case may include payments for past, current and future medical expenses, physical pain, emotional suffering, and other damages.
Has Your Family Been Impacted by a Birth Injury?
If your family has been impacted by a birth injury you need to speak with an experienced birth injury attorney as soon as possible. Contact us online or call our office directly at 888.450.4456 to schedule a free consultation.
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