Menu
Call

1 (440) 442-6677

X

Get Legal Help

Did Your Newborn Suffer Cerebral
Palsy or Another Brain Injury Before
or During Labor and Delivery?

Learn More

Our Birth Brain Injury Resource Guide

the guide

Get a FREE guide of resources available throughout Ohio to children and families of children who were born with brain injuries.

Our guide can help you build a foundation of knowledge and tools that will help you help your child
now and in the future.

Get Your Free Guide Now
Get a Free Case Evaluation

Maternal Death - Medical Provider Negligence Vaginal Birth after Cesarean

A cesarean section, otherwise known as a c-section, represents a medical procedure that involves a surgeon making an incision in the abdomen and uterus of a pregnant woman to deliver a newborn.

Get A 100% Free CASE Evaluation     

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that roughly one-third of American mothers in 2011 underwent c-sections to give birth.

Physical Signs

In the majority of cases, an injury to the muscle nerves does not create long lasting symptoms. The nerves quickly regenerate to eliminate any signs of the medical condition. In some cases, injury to the brachial plexus produces obvious signs of palsy. You can experience prolonged weakness in the affected arm that prevents you from performing circular movements at the elbow and/or shoulder joints. The decreased range of motion can be exacerbated by a hyper sensitivity to touch at the point near or at the damaged area. Motor skills diminish significantly, especially when the pain becomes overwhelming to bear.

Elk & Elk

Medical Risks

Considered a riskier medical procedure than the risk posed by the more typical delivery of a baby, a cesarean section can produce infections, blood clots, excessive bleeding, and postpartum pain. The surgical procedure leads to longer hospital stays for expectant mothers, as well as a much longer period of recovery.

Injuries to the bowel and bladder also create health issues for pregnant women. More than one c-section increases the likelihood of you experiencing health complications that include placenta accrete and placenta previa. Pregnant women who undergo cesarean sections can also experience nausea and severe headaches.

Overview

Mothers that require the invasive surgery can deliver an infant through the birth canal at the end of subsequent pregnancies. Referred to as vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC), you and your obstetrician agree to have a “trial of labor after cesarean,” which is commonly referenced under the acronym TOLAC. When labor starts, your health care provider’s objective is to deliver the baby through the vaginal cavity. Although you want a subsequent birth to occur via the vagina, you might need the attending physician to perform the abdominal surgery required to deliver the baby.

TOLAC Benefits

Avoiding the trauma and ensuing scar that forms on the uterus is the primary benefit of going through with a TOLAC method of birth delivery after a cesarean section. You endure much less pain and fewer medical procedures to ensure a briefer time spent recovering at a hospital and your home. Vaginal deliveries after delivering an infant through the abdomen reduce the risk of infections. You assume a more active role in the birth of your next child, as a surgery requires some type of sedative to relax the muscles.

VBAC Success

The success of a VBAC depends on several factors. You are more likely to experience a successful VBAC if the c-section performed during a previous birth delivery was not performed to induce labor. Pregnant women who do not have the similar condition that prompted the prior surgical birth delivery, such as a breech or feet-first fetus, should go through a successful VBAC. Having undergone a successful birth delivery before enhances the likelihood of a successful VBAC.

Opting for a vaginal birth after undergoing a c-section is a medically safe choice for most pregnant women. Deciding whether to select the vaginal birth after surgery option depends on the numerous risk factors that can compromise you and your infant’s health. Consult with your obstetrician to decide whether a VBAC is the right choice for you and your newborn.

Medical Malpractice in Ohio

Ohio medical malpractice law defines medical negligence as an act that injures a patient during treatment. Some cases of malpractice involve the failure to diagnose a serious medical condition, as well as making an inaccurate diagnosis. For example, malpractice can include advising an expectant mother to undergo birth delivery through the vagina, when it places the pregnant woman at risk for enduring serious health complications. The health care professional must violate one or more standards of care. The State of Ohio defines standard of care to mean the procedures that follow generally accepted medical practices.

Contact a licensed Ohio attorney who has experience litigating malpractice cases to see if you have the legal reasons required to file an Ohio medical malpractice lawsuit.