Do You Have One Of These Risk Factors For A Serious Maternal Injury?
In the United States, there has been asteady increasein the number of women who experience short-term or long-term injuries during childbirth. In the medical community, a serious and unexpectedinjury to the motheris referred to asmaternal morbidity. It is important for women to understand the risk factors and causes of severe maternal morbidity,which impact as many as 60,000 mothersevery year.
Certain cases of maternal morbidity are considered situations where the mother is fortunate to have survived—a so-called “near miss” event. Despite the vast wealth and resources of the United States, our health care system has nearlydouble the maternal deathscompared with other developed countries.According to the Commonwealth Fund, most of these deaths are preventable. It’s important to note that the risk factors that lead to severe maternal morbidity are the same ones that can contribute to the death of the mother.
Therefore, it’s incredibly important for expecting mothers and their healthcare providers to understand and manage the risk factors that lead to maternal injuries:
According to areportby the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), 861 women died of maternal causes in the United States in 2020, which calculates to 23.8 deaths of the mother per 100,000 live births. This makes the United States one of the few, if not the only, industrialized nation where maternal mortality is rising.In 2018, the U.S. maternal mortality rate was 17.4 deaths per 100,000 live births, compared to 8.7 for France, 8.6 for Canada, 6.5 for the United Kingdom, 3.2 for Germany, and 1.7 for New Zealand.
Types of Injuries That Can Occur
The CDC lists the following21 indicatorsof Severe Maternal Morbidity (injury to the mother) related to childbirth:
What to Do If You Suspect an Injury Related to Childbirth
If you believe that you or a family member has suffered a serious injury to the mother during childbirth, you might have grounds for a legal claim against the healthcare provider. You need the expertise of a birth injury attorney who understands the established standard of care and how to investigate whether it was followed in your situation. The consequences of medical malpractice can be severe, and there can be hidden costs and losses that haunt you for decades. Fortunately, the justice system provides a remedy so that the provider compensates medical malpractice victims for the economic damages they have along with potential financial recovery for pain and suffering. For a free consultation, please call Brown & Barron at(410) 547-0202or contact us online by clickinghere.