According to an investigation by USA Today, thousands of mothers suffer traumatic injuries or die each year during childbirth because of the lack of safety practices. After reviewing hospital quality records and contacting numerous hospitals to verify whether safety procedures were followed, the author states that there was “widespread failure to protect new mothers” and a “stunning lack of attention to safety recommendations.”
Of the cases studied, fewer than one-half of the women whose blood pressure was dangerously high received proper treatment. In some hospitals studied, less than 15 percent of the women received treatment. Failing to treat high blood pressure places the mother at risk for a stroke. Other hospitals admitted in interviews that they did not track whether mothers received treatment for high blood pressure nor track blood loss to treat dangerous bleeding before the mother is at risk.
According to the article, approximately 50,000 mothers are severely injured, and approximately 700 women die each year during childbirth. If hospitals provided better care for mothers during childbirth, half of the deaths and injuries could be prevented. While other countries improve the health care they provide to mothers during childbirth; the United States has become a dangerous country for birth mothers.
Lack of System to Track Childbirth Complications
A lack of a national system for identifying cases of childbirth complications makes it difficult to know exactly how many mothers suffer injuries or die each year from a lack of proper care. However, tracking the number of maternal death rates in California compared to the rest of the country sheds some light on how safety procedures can save a mother’s life. In most other parts of the country, maternal death rates have increased over the past two decades. However, California has reduced the maternal death rate by one-half after implementing safety practices for providers to follow during childbirth.
Shocking Evidence From Hospital Training Videos
From videos obtained from hospital training seminars, trainers apparently admitted that 93 percent of the mothers who died from excessive bleeding during childbirth could have been saved had the hospital staff monitored how much blood the mother was losing. In another video, a trainer admitted that most of the maternal deaths during childbirth were preventable if the hospital staff had recognized the emergency sooner.
The full article which provides much more detail about the investigation can be found on the USA Today website.
Common Injuries During Childbirth
Medical malpractice related to childbirth is not something that is new. The information in the article substantiates what many families already know — hospitals and doctors make mistakes. In cases in which the mistakes were preventable, the family may have a medical malpractice claim against multiple parties.
Examples of childbirth injuries for the child or the mother that could be the result of medical negligence include:
- Erb’s Palsy
- Cerebral Palsy
- Excessive bleeding
- Stroke
- Blood clots
- Paralysis
- Injuries from forceps and other tools
- Placental abruption
- C-section complication or injuries
- Post-delivery infections
While not all negative outcomes during childbirth are the result of medical negligence, you should consult with a Houston birth injury lawyer if you were injured during childbirth. You may be entitled to recover compensation for damages. Families of women who have died during childbirth may recover damages for a wrongful death.
Contact a Houston Birth Injury Attorney for More Information
It is frightening to think that a hospital would not follow basic safety procedures that could save a mother’s life. When hospitals or other medical providers are negligent, Texas medical malpractice laws allow victims to recover compensation for damages.
The Texas birth injury lawyers of Weycer Law Firm want to help you seek justice for yourself and your child. For a free consultation, call (713) 668-4545. You may also use the chat feature on our website for information 24/7.
Source: “Hospitals know how to protect mothers. They just aren’t doing it.” Alison Young. USA Today. 27 July 2018.