Most expectant parents do everything they can to ensure their unborn child is healthy. The pregnancy is where expectant parents have the most control over their baby’s health. Taking prenatal medications, eating healthy, visiting the doctor, and more are all ways that expectant parents take care of their baby.The labor and delivery process, however, is where the health of the child is largely taken out of parents’ hands. At this point, this responsibility transfers to the doctor. And, it is at this point that the parents’ hard work to ensure the health of their baby is rewarded—or taken away from them.

When doctors or nurses make errors in the delivery room, all of the parents’ hard work to keep their child healthy can be for nothing. And, there is not much that parents can do to prevent this from happening.

Can You Avoid Malpractice by Working with a Midwife?

Some women decide to forgo the hospital environment altogether during their birth. As Dr. Timothy J. Fisher, OB-GYN residency program director at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and assistant professor of obstetrics at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth University, explains,

“The midwifery model of care emphasizes normalcy and wellness. It empowers women and gives them greater ownership of their health, their pregnancy, and the outcomes of that pregnancy based on choices that they’re able to make. Unfortunately, the medical model of prenatal care can take some of that ownership away, in a way that can ultimately be detrimental for some people.”

While many women have exceptionally positive experiences with midwives, it’s important to keep in mind that there is still no guarantee that working with a midwife will prevent all birth injuries. Many midwives are not trained medically. Additionally, if the child is harmed, you will have to go to the hospital anyway to tend to the child’s injuries.

Therefore, there is no way to protect yourself entirely from medical malpractice during your pregnancy and birth.

Most Birth Injuries Are Caused by Negligence

The simple fact is that most birth injuries happen when a doctor fails to diagnose and treat a pregnant woman’s medical conditions, fails to monitor the mother and infant for signs of distress during the birth, fails to order a C-section when necessary, or fails to use birth assistance devices properly.

Much of these actions are out of parents’ hands. Expectant parents often do not have the medical knowledge or experience needed to know better. This is why doctors’ jobs are so important; since we do not know much about the medical process, we trust doctors to make the right decisions for our health.

Additionally, speaking up against doctors’ actions is often in vain. The medical industry is notorious for taking advantage of patients’ lack of medical knowledge to order unnecessary procedures or to ignore their requests.

For example, one in six women reports maternal mistreatment. This involves doctors or nurses shouting at or demeaning them, ignoring their requests, or performing procedures without their consent, such as C-sections or episiotomies.

If your child has suffered a birth injury due to a medical provider’s negligence, such as cerebral palsy, our team at Brown & Barron, LLC can help you recover the compensation you need for your child’s medical bills.

Call Brown & Barron, LLC at (410) 698-1717 to schedule a free consultation.