Forceps Delivery
All women hope for an uncomplicated birth. Unfortunately, sometimes there are situations that develop during labor in which physicians choose to use forceps to aid with delivery. Some of these situations include maternal health problems, exhaustion, and fetal distress. Forceps are instruments designed to go around the baby’s head in order to facilitate delivery. They have been used for hundreds of years but have always been considered “controversial.”
Forceps-assisted births are relatively rare in the United States, according to a 2006 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That year, less than one percent of births involved forceps. Used correctly, forceps can deliver healthy babies. Used incorrectly, forceps can cause trauma, bleeding in the brain and brain damage for babies.
Using forceps safely requires a high level of skill and expertise. An inexperienced doctor should never carry out the procedure. The Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates research in all aspects of health care, found that in forceps-assisted births women were more likely to suffer vaginal tears and trauma and experience some kind of incontinence after the birth than those who had vacuum-assisted births. While most maternal injuries can be treated, the injuries to the baby may be permanent. Forceps can cause marks and bruising on the fetal face. Misplaced forceps can result in more serious outcomes such as, brain bleeds, seizures, brain damage, cerebral palsy and even death. For information on one couple’s tragic story involving the forceps delivery of their baby, go to http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1253013/Forceps-killed-baby-doctors-using-them.html.The couple shares the story of their daughter, Alexandra who died as a result of a severe spinal cord injury inflicted during a forceps delivery.
It is important to for pregnant women to know the benefits and risks of a forceps-assisted birth. It is something that should be discussed with their doctor prior to delivery. For answers to legal related questions about forceps and birth injuries, please call our toll free number (888-419-2229) for a free consultation. Reiter & Walsh ABC Law Centers has handled many forceps and birth injury cases in Michigan, Ohio, Washington DC and throughout the United States.
About us: Reiter & Walsh ABC Law Centers is based in Detroit, MI. We specialize in birth injury cases and serve Oakland, Macomb and Wayne Counties and all other counties in Michigan. Our major Michigan cities include Detroit, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, Lansing, and Warren but we also serve all other areas of the state. Reiter & Walsh ABC Law Centers also represents clients in Washington DC and Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, Cincinnati and the remainder of Ohio and other states. Our consultations are free and we do not charge legal fees until we win your case. 1-888-419-BABY, www.abclawcenters.com.