Franklin Gray and White Blog

Hospitals Take Measures To Eliminate Birth-Related Injuries and Deaths

In the preceding article, a coalition of some of the country's leading hospitals announce the formation of a collaborative effort designed to reduce the number of preventable birth-related injuries and deaths that occur, according to a source in the article, in close to 3 of every 1,000 births.   This is welcome news.  As the article states, there are way too many preventable birth-related injuries and deaths each year.  Common issues listed as being responsible for these perinatal injuries and death include, inappropriate use of labor-inducing drugs, inappropriate use of vacuum extractors or forceps, failure to recognize an infant in distress, failure to timely intiate cesarian births, and failure to properly resusciate a depressed baby.

The Premier Perinatal Safety Initiative (which includes local Baptist Hospital East) seeks to make these improvements in perinatal care through information sharing, "care bundles", studies and analyses, and the creation of an advisory counsel.

As stated, the occurrence of preventable birth-related injuries and deaths is a significant problem.  The law firm of Franklin Gray and White represents clients whose children have experienced such injuries or death.  If you believe your child was the victim of such a birth-related injury, please contact our firm for a free consulation.

Experts Concerned With Rise in C-Sections

From the Louisvile Courier-Journal:

"Kelly Parsons was in her eighth month of pregnancy when her water broke and doctors, concerned about her severe high blood pressure, prepared to deliver her baby by Caesarean section.

Lying in her hospital bed, she kept thinking her baby wasn't ready to be born.

"I knew it wasn't good," said the 30-year-old Louisville woman.

ndeed, while he's doing well at 5 years old, Parsons' son Jackson was born underweight, suffered breathing problems and jaundice and spent two weeks in a neonatal intensive care unit.

Such serious and costly medical problems are not unusual for the growing number of babies born relatively late in pregnancy, but before the 37 to 42 weeks considered full-term.

And a growing number of doctors and health advocates -- including the March of Dimes at a recent "prematurity summit" in Louisville -- are linking this to a new factor: a jump in C-sections.

The rate of C-sections reached a record in 2005 -- the most recent year for which data are available -- 30.3 percent of all births in the United States, up 46 percent from 1996. Kentucky's rate, 33.9 percent, was sixth-highest in the nation.

Pre-term births, meanwhile, have risen more than 30 percent in two decades nationally, and today comprise about one in seven births in Kentucky and Indiana. Most of those are "late pre-term," defined as 34 to 36 weeks in the womb.

Some medical experts and women's health advocates say late pre-term births could be reduced by bringing down the number of C-sections done before 39 weeks for reasons such as mothers' requests or doctors' schedules.

The March of Dimes is asking hospitals to voluntarily review all such C-sections.

"There are many of us doing elective Caesareans," said Dr. Iffath Abbasi Hoskins, of New York, vice president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. "Often, it is for the health of the mother or baby. … (But) some of it is the patients saying: 'I'm done. Get me delivered.' "

Others argue, however, that the vast majority of C-sections are done for sound medical reasons, as in the case of Parsons, who was believed to be 33 weeks along. But doctors do admit medical decisions are sometimes tempered by concerns about malpractice lawsuits."

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Prenatal and perinatal care are complicated areas of medical practice.  Unfortunately, too often negligent care in these areas can led to devastating effects to the child and the mother.  The law firm of Franklin Gray & White represents victims of medical malpractice including cases involving birth injuries and cerebral palsy.  If you are concerned that you or a loved one has been the victim of medical malpractice, please contact the attorneys at Franklin Gray & White for a free consultation.

Many Factors Have Been Identifed As Causing Cerebral Palsy

Many mistakes by doctors and hospitals during delivery can lead to cerebral palsy. The following is a list of mistakes made during delivery that have caused chlidren to be born with cerebral palsy:

-Failure to recognize and treat seizures following delivery
-Failure to detect a prolapsed cord (when the umbilical cord wraps around the child's neck and cuts off oxygen to the brain)
-Improper or excessive  use of vacuum extractors
-Improper or excessive use of forceps
-Failure to properly respond to fetal heart rate changes
-Leaving the child in the birth canal too long causing a lack of oxygen to th brain
-Failure to respond to the mother's changing conditions such as high blood  
 pressure, toxemia or abnormal pain
-Failure to timely diagnose and treat jaundice
-Failure to timely diagnose and treat meningitis

Franklin Gray & White has successfully represented many children injured during birth against hospitals and doctors in medical malpractice lawsuits. The firm currently has the largest jury verdict in Kentucky for these types of lawsuits.

Antibiotics for Preterm Labor Linked to Cerebral Palsy

From the Washington Post, two recent studies have found a link between preterm labor antibiotics and cerebral palsy.  The article states that "not only do antibiotics not help pregnant women experiencing premature labor without ruptured membranes and no sign of infection, they may increase the risk of cerebral palsy in some children."

A doctor interviewed for the article said this about the study, "This is a good study, because it's a large number of patients, and it shows that the use of antibiotics do not help and are possibly harmful for preterm labor in the absence of rupture of the membrane (broken water)."

However, doctors who were interviewed about the study were quick to warn pregnant women not to neccessarily avoid antibiotics though, stating, "We need to reassure pregnant women that, if they have signs of infection and antibiotics are clearly indicated, then they should feel no reluctance to accept antibiotics."

The law firm of Franklin Gray & White has experience litigating cases involving birth injuries and cerebral palsy.  If you are concerned that you or a loved one has experienced a birth injury, please contact the attorneys at Franklin Gray & White for a free consultation.