What is the Definition of Maternal Birth Trauma?

The term birth trauma refers to three overlapping conditions:

• A newborn experiencing physical trauma
• A mother experiencing physical trauma
• A mother experiencing mental and psychological trauma

Maternal birth trauma specifically refers to the two types of traumatic birth experiences suffered by the mother – physical and psychological. In this article we will be discussing physical traumas.

Some physical traumas that mothers may suffer during childbirth include vaginal tears, a ruptured uterus, and postpartum hemorrhages. An Orlando birth injury lawyer or Fort Lauderdale birth injury lawyer at Osborne, Francis & Pettis can help you understand if your physical maternal birth trauma has been the result of medical malpractice.

Physical Birth Trauma

Physical trauma is common among women who give birth. Often, this is called a maternal birth injury. Some of the risk factors for physical birth injury include being an older mother, having a large baby, having a long labor, and having a previous perineal tear. While some trauma is expected during childbirth, other injuries may be the result of obstetrical negligence.

Many women experience “perineal trauma,” a common and expected outcome of vaginal birth. Perineal tears and lacerations can occur spontaneously or through medical procedures, including by an episiotomy, which is a surgical cut between the vagina and anus. There may be nerve damage, which can lead to long-term pelvic pain, a condition called pudendal neuralgia. Additionally, there may be bowel or bladder irritation as a result of perineal trauma.

A rare complication is obstetric fistula, which refers to a tear between the vagina and the bowel or bladder, which causes an inability to control the passage of feces. It occurs when a third or fourth-degree perineal tear high up the vagina goes through to the rectum or if a perineal tear is not properly prepared.

Injuries to the pelvic floor may also occur during childbirth. The ‘pelvic floor’ is a group of muscles inside the pelvis that helps hold the uterus, bladder and bowel in place. Many women who give birth vaginally have permanent changes to the pelvic floor due to overstretching or tearing.

Pelvic organ prolapse is another maternal birth injury where the organs inside the pelvis drop down towards the vagina, causing bladder and bowel problems.

Contact An Orlando Birth Injury Lawyer

Sometimes, a maternal physical birth injury is the result of medical malpractice, including failure to provide drugs during childbirth, failure to manage fetal distress, a delayed Cesarean section, and many other causes. If you believe that your doctor’s negligence may have caused your birth injury, contact Osborne, Francis & Pettis for a free and confidential consultation. We have many years of experience helping our clients with cases involving medical malpractice and understand how medical negligence can significantly impact you and your family.