Both countries have a high rate of premature births.

Last week, the March of Dimes released a disturbing new report. According to the March of Dimes, the United States ranks 131^st in the world for its rate of preterm births. That means that a baby born in the
United States has about the same chance of being born before 37 weeks as a baby born in countries such as Somalia, Turkey and Thailand.

Approximately 12% of babies born in the United States are born prematurely each year. In Belarus, only 4.1% of babies are born prematurely.

Premature babies have a higher risk of suffering lifelong disabilities or death than babies born full term. Some premature babies may be delivered early because of medical malpractice while the situation may be unavoidable for other babies.

Our Pennsylvania medical malpractice lawyers hope that the number of babies born prematurely
can be lowered in the United States and that, if you are expecting, you have a healthy delivery.

Earlier this week we talked about the potential risks of elective births before 40 weeks gestation. Today, we want to look at the other side. What happens when a mother is post-term or has been pregnant for 42 weeks or more? Do doctors then have a responsibility to induce labor or recommend a C-section? Could the failure to monitor the pregnancy be medical malpractice?

 Doctors have a responsibility to increase monitoring of post term pregnancies and to provide options to the expectant mother. Post term pregnancies present increased risks to the mother and child. Those risks include a greater chance of death during or after childbirth. Accordingly, what was reasonable and acceptable care by an obstetrician at 20 weeks gestation may not be reasonable and acceptable at 42 weeks gestation.

 If you are post term, please talk to your doctor about the risks for you and your child and about your medical options.

You are done being pregnant. Your doctor has a vacation planned. A holiday is coming up. There is no medical reason why you can’t stay pregnant until your body goes until labor. Neither you nor your child is in danger. However, your doctor is trying to encourage you to have a C-section or to induce labor between 37 – 39 weeks.

 A new report is encouraging you to think twice about that. Studies find that significant harm is possible from these early births including brain damage, developmental delays, disabilities and sleep problems. Organizations studying elective births are finding that many women are not informed of these risks and assert that if women were provided the information necessary to provide informed consent then fewer elective births would occur.

 Accordingly, the Leapfrog Group is urging hospitals that have a higher than 5% elective birth rate performed for no medical reason to be identified to the public.

 Elective deliveries is currently an issue being studied by the Joint Commission and one that our Pennsylvania birth injury lawyers expect to hear more about soon.

Late last month the family of a 3 days old infant and Lehigh Valley Hospital settled a wrongful death case for $1.5 million.  The family filed the lawsuit alleging that their daughter, Mackenzie, suffered a birth injury during her May 2008 birth and that the medical staff failed to recognize that she had suffered the injury which resulted in her death. 

According to the family’s lawsuit, the obstetrician applied a vacuum to the baby’s head during delivery to assist with delivery and the vacuum caused bleeding in the baby’s brain.  However, the lawsuit alleged that the hospital staff did not recognize the symptoms of the bleeding quickly enough to prevent her death.

We express our condolences to this family following the loss of their infant daughter.

A recent study published in the Journal Pediatrics found that oxygen deprivation during pregnancy, during labor or during birth could be a potential cause of Autism.  The study which examined 40 previous studies found that a birth injury alone could increase the risk of Autism fivefold.  The study also found that neonatal anemia, meconium aspiration, umbilical cord complications and other issues which may sometimes be identified and treated with proper medical care may significantly increase a child’s chances of being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

While researchers believe that oxygen deprivation during or prior to birth may be a potential cause of Autism, they caution parents and caregivers to remember that further research is necessary and this is potentially only one cause of this complex syndrome.

Do you have a child with Autism?  Did your child suffer a birth injury?  Please leave a comment and let others know what happened to your family.