Preventing emergency cesarean procedures may reduce birth injury

Preparing for the birth of a child can be both stressful and exciting. New parents often form a delivery plan to make the days and hours leading up to a baby’s arrival go as smoothly as possible. Choosing the right Maryland hospital, making sure the car seat is properly installed, and packing all the clothes and things the baby will need can certainly help prevent chaos, but there is no sure way to prevent birth injury.

There are many scenarios in which a woman may experience complications when giving birth. If delivery is not going well and a mother, baby or both are in danger, an emergency cesarean delivery may be called for. Though often used as a life-saving procedure, an emergency c-section can be more likely to result in birth injury than a vaginal delivery or planned c-section.

Researchers have recently been testing a drug that can reduce the medical necessity of such a procedure, but the drug is hardly new. Sildenafil, commonly sold under the brand name Viagra, has been on the market for decades as a sexual enhancement drug for men. Clinical trials have shown that it can increase blood flow to the fetus when a woman is given this drug in the early stages of labor. This is important because a shortness or constriction of blood can create the need for an emergency c-section. More trials are forthcoming to further test the theory.

Though sometimes a birth injury is caused by circumstances beyond human control, in other scenarios, a birth injury may be caused by error on the part of medical professionals. If a Maryland resident has experienced a birth injury caused by another party, or if doctors or nurses negligently failed to prevent one, a victim may have a legal case. A victim may want to contact a compassionate attorney that can help bring a suit against the responsible party and collect any damages or compensation a court may award as part of a judgement in a victim’s favor.