A question posed to us looked at how a placental abruption brain injury can occur during labor and delivery. Placental abruption is a medical condition that is unknown to some mothers. With that said, any issues with the placenta means that doctors and nurses must pay close attention to the progress of mother and baby.
Below I will discuss a placental abruption brain injury from a medical legal aspect because this is an issue other parents may be looking to find answers. Although placental abruption can happen during any point during pregnancy, the focus of this article and supporting video will be on labor and delivery.
WHAT IS PLACENTAL ABRUPTION?
Placental abruption is a medical condition in which the placenta detaches from the uterine wall. The detachment can be complete, or it can be a partial detachment. In any case, danger to the baby can result from either of these examples if not properly diagnosed and treated.
The placenta develops and grows during pregnancy. It is formed in the uterus and plays an important function in the development and well-being of your baby, with one of the functions being to removing waste from your baby’s blood.
In addition, the umbilical cord grows from the placenta. The umbilical cord provides blood and oxygen to your baby. The cord also performs other important functions for development. When placental abruption occurs, all these things can be impacted.
A PLACENTAL ABRUPTION BRAIN INJURY…
One way in which a placental abruption brain injury can occur is due to interruption in blood and oxygen. Mothers run the risk of excessive bleeding when the placenta detaches. As mother losses blood, this loss can in some ways impact the baby.
During labor and delivery, doctors and nurses can watch how well the baby is tolerating a vaginal delivery using the electronic fetal heart monitor. The monitor will note things like the baby’s heart rate, variability, deceleration patterns if any, contraction patterns, among other things.
As I mentioned above, when a baby’s blood and oxygen delivery is impacted, there is always a risk of a brain injury. One type of injury is called HIE, or hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. HIE in this context means a reduced level of blood and oxygen causing a brain injury.
When placental abruption is present, it is important for doctors and nurses to properly identify the condition and treat it accordingly. In some cases, an emergency C-section during labor and delivery is the best way to help attempt to prevent the baby from suffering a brain injury.
DID YOUR PLACENTA DETACH DURING LABOR AND DELIVERY AND NOW YOUR BABY HAS A BRAIN INJURY?
Are you here reading this article and watching the supporting video because you are looking for answers surrounding your baby’s brain injury and your understanding of a detached placenta during labor and delivery? If so, we can talk more about what may have happened and what lead up to delivery.
One of the main questions for investigation is what did the doctor know or should have known, and what actions did they take? For example, what were the readings on the fetal heart monitor and was the baby in distress? Should an emergency C-section have taken place, or if it did, was there a delay? These questions, and more are important starting points.
I can be reached for further discussion at 301-850-4832. I talk with families all the time about birth trauma related injuries and I would be happy to listen to your story.
Marcus B. Boston, Esq.
2 Wisconsin Circle, Suite 700
Chevy Chase, Maryland 20815
1-833-4 BABY HELP
