For most women, the pregnancy part of having a child can go relatively smoothly. It is during the labor and delivery phase when things can go wrong and the need for extensive medical intervention such as a C-section may arise.
In many cases, you may have little to no time to understand the risk involved for you and your baby until your doctor tells you a C-section is necessary. It could alleviate some anxiety about the birth process to at least know the risks you face if you need this procedure.
The risks to you and your baby
It may not surprise you to know that the dangers of a C-section are mostly to you, but your baby could suffer injuries as well. Below are the most common injuries that could occur:
- You could develop an infection in the uterus or the surgical site.
- Your baby could suffer an injury related to the surgery, such as a nick or cut.
- Your baby could breathe abnormally fast for the first few days of his or her life.
- You could experience heavy bleeding during and after the procedure.
- The surgeon could nick or cut your bowel or bladder during the procedure, which will most likely require additional surgery and medical care to correct.
- You could have an adverse reaction to the anesthesia.
- A blood clot could form and travel to your lungs, heart or brain.
- You could develop deep vein thrombosis caused by blood clots in a deep vein of the body – usually in the pelvic organs or legs.
C-sections have become quite common. On the one hand, this should give you some peace of mind since doctors perform them often. On the other hand, this fact may mean that the surgeon has done the procedure so many times that he or she becomes complacent.
He or she may fail to pay as close attention as is needed in order to increase the chances that neither you nor your baby suffers any harm. Make no mistake, this is a surgical procedure. Just because doctors perform them often does not eliminate the risks.
Sadly, injuries during this procedure happen more often than anyone would like. The question is whether it resulted from a medical mistake. If you have any doubt, it would be worth your time to discuss the matter with an Illinois attorney experienced in these often complex cases.