When a physician plans a vaginal delivery for a mother who has previously had a C-section that physician needs to take into account that this places the patient in a high risk category. The medical term for a vaginal delivery following a previous C-section is VBAC. VBAC women are high-risk patients as they are known to be at higher risk of a ruptured uterus during labor. When this happens the unborn baby's much needed oxygen supply, which is normally received through the placenta, is cut off. If this continues for a prolonged period of time the unborn baby will suffer brain damage and be left with severe permanent disabilities.
Consider a recently reported case involving a pregnant woman who was admitted to the hospital for a planned vaginal delivery of her baby. She had a C-section in a prior pregnancy. The nurse administered the drug Pitocin, commonly used to induce labor. The use of Pitocin needs to be carefully monitored as it can result in hyperstimulation of the uterus and lead to a serious complication especially at higher dosages. The nurse but failed to inform the attending physician that the woman developed an "inappropriate contraction patter." Instead, as the contractions escalated to clearly unsafe levels, the nurse continued to administer Pitocin.
The mother did suffer a uterine rupture. The baby suffered from fetal distress. The baby was deprived of sufficient oxygen for 81-20 minutes as a result of which he suffered a brain injury. He has severe cerebral palsy. He is unable to walk or to talk. He cannot hold anything in his hands. He is unable to eat on his own and requires a feeding tube. He can, however, recognize members of his family and is alert. But he will require full-time life assistance. The law firm that handled this matter reported that the case went to trial and the jury returned a verdict of $31 Million. This amount includes $26 Million for the cost of future medical care.
As this case illustrates nurses and hospital staff need to be able to recognize when complications arise in a pregnancy, need to know and understand the effects and danger signs of the drugs they administer, and let the physician in charge know about any signs that indicate there is a problem developing. Whether caused by a lack training, experience, overwork, or communication breakdowns, a failure in any (or as in this case all) of these areas can lead to devastating injuries to the baby. When this happens the family (both on their own behalf and on behalf of the baby) may be able to bring a claim for malpractice. As this case shows such cases, due to the nature and extent of the injury to the baby, can result in a significant recovery.
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