In the United States, C-sections are the most common operating room procedure – and the rate of C-sections is steadily climbing. Having a C-section is a serious surgery, and patients should think twice before having the procedure if it not medically necessary. However several reasons exist that make the operation the best way to safely deliver infants. This includes where a pregnancy is risky or complications arise. A number of factors have led to this increase, including the fact that women are waiting longer to have children, which makes a pregnancy riskier. Further maternal weights are increasing, leading to the likelihood of having larger infants, sometimes a complicating factor that may make having a C-section a safer way to deliver babies than vaginally.
Other situations where C-sections are necessary include where an infant may exhibit signs of fetal distress. The failure to act quickly and perform an emergency C-section may lead to a "hypoxic ischemic event" (HIE) where a child's brain is deprived of blood and oxygen, potentially leading to a brain injury or other birth injury. The failure of doctors, nurses and other hospital staff to act quickly in this circumstance may be considered medical malpractice.
For more information, or if you believe that you or your infant suffered an injury during child birth, please contact the dedicated California birth injury attorneys at Bostwick & Peterson, LLP for an immediate consultation.