How A Delay Or Failure To Perform A C-Section Can Lead To HIE

One of the main causes of a birth injury and an HIE diagnosis can be due to the failure, or delay in performing a C-Section. There are many factors which go into making the determination as to whether to perform a C-Section and when the procedure should be done. Doctors must pay close attention to mother and baby during the labor and delivery. In some cases, the mother’s medical history will be an important factor to be weighed in determining the proper course of treatment.

Injuries can occur when doctors fail to identify information that alerts them to act, and they do not act. A main area of concern is when the baby’s fetal heart monitor strips display that the baby is no longer handling the vaginal delivery and there is a failure to perform a C-Section, or there is a delay in performing the procedure. Standard of care issues will present themselves if a reasonable and prudent doctor, under the same set of circumstances, would have acted in a different way than the treating doctor, and this departure from the standard of care is what caused the injury in baby and/or mom.

The type of medical event the doctors are facing will determine whether there is a need for a C-Section. Injury can occur when doctors should rescue the baby but instead decide to prolong mother’s labor or have her to continue to “bear down” and push through with a vaginal delivery. In addition, injury can also occur when doctors allow the labor and delivery to go on too long, and then decide to perform a C-Section. In these cases, sometimes the birth injury has already occurred, and the injury is due to the delay in performing the C-Section.

Why Is The Electronic Fetal Heart Monitor Important In A C-Section Analysis?

The electronic fetal heart monitor (EFM) is a device used during labor and delivery to help determine the wellbeing of the baby. One of the important things that the EFM does is monitor the baby’s heart beats and rhythm, and the mother’s contractions, among other things. As mother goes through labor and delivery, the EFM will display the reading on a strip. In some cases, the doctors and nurses might make notes on the strip to help with monitoring.

One of the common ways in which the EFM is done using an ultrasound transducer attached to the mother’s abdomen. The transducer sends readings to a machine which records the printout of the baby’s heartbeats and the mother’s contractions. From these readings, doctors and nurses can determine the health and wellbeing of the baby.

When Should Doctors Perform A C-Section?

The type of medical situation the doctor is dealing with will determine if a C-Section is needed. Therefore, early detection of possible medical issues and good attention to mother and baby go a long way to help prevent injury. Below are some of the conditions which can require a C-Section: