Brain Injury News

Problems with Cesarean Sections

Athens, GA -- Citizens for Midwifery joins with the American College of Nurse-Midwives and other national childbirth organizations in calling for full disclosure regarding complications and harm resulting from cesarean section surgery for childbirth. Cesarean section is major abdominal surgery associated with a long and well-documented list of risks for both mothers and babies, including life-threatening and long-term problems. While such surgery can be life-saving and may be worth the risks when specific medical complications exist, in the absence of
such complications cesarean sections cause harm rather than promoting healthy mothers and babies. When
cesarean section is recommended or offered, it is imperative that women be given complete, unbiased and
evidence-based information about all the risks and benefits before making a decision.

As of 2004 nearly 30% of babies were delivered by cesarean, while in 2000 19% of healthy low risk women in hospital-based care were subject to cesarean surgery. These rates far exceed all reasonable guidelines for appropriate cesarean section rates. Midwives attending low risk women in-out-of-hospital settings help these women to safely give birth to healthy babies with only about 4% delivered by cesarean section, in contrast to 19% of low risk women cared for by obstetricians in hospitals. Citizens for Midwifery supports the rights of women to autonomy and bodily integrity regarding maternity care and birthing choices.

Such choices should be made in the context of full disclosure and honest, unbiased and complete informed consent processes.Cesarean sections for no medical indication, by “maternal request” or not, entail serious risks, unnecessarily use scarce healthcare resources, and entail extra costs born by the public. Citizens for Midwifery supports maternity care that nurtures and enables normal birth with minimal interventions. Citizens for Midwifery is a national, consumer-based non-profit organization that promotes the Midwives Model of Care, provides information about midwifery and childbirth issues, and speaks up for consumer interests regarding midwifery and maternity care. The Midwives Model of Care is based on the fact that pregnancy and birth are normal life processes. The application of this woman-centered model of care has been proven to reduce the incidence of birth injury, trauma and cesarean section.

If you or anyone you know has experienced the results of brain injury or any other kind of medical malpractice , please contact our Virginia lawyer. We are here to help you.

	Did You Know?
	Birth injuries can be a result of medical malpractice. Medical error can cause birth injuries, or can increase their severity or permanence. Medical errors which may support a malpractice action include: (1) failing to anticipate birth complications with a larger baby, or in cases involving maternal health complications, (2) failure to respond appropriately to bleeding (3) failing to observe or respond to umbilical cord entrapment (4) failure to respond to fetal distress (including irregularities in the fetal heartbeat), (5) delay in ordering cesarean section (c-section) when medically necessary, (6) misuse of forceps or a vacuum extractor during delivery, or (7) inappropriate administration of Pitocin, a synthesized hormone used to induce or augment (speed up) labor.