What Are The Risks Associated With A C-Section?

For many New Haven, Connecticut, women, a cesarean delivery (C-section) is a medically acceptable alternative to a vaginal delivery, but the benefits to the expectant mother and the unborn child must be weighed against the risks associated with the procedure. Before a woman requests the procedure or agrees to undergo a cesarean delivery she should review the benefits and risks associated with it with her doctor.

What Are Reasons to Have a C-Section Performed?

A cesarean delivery is a relatively common procedure with approximately one-third of the infants born in the United States each year delivered through cesarean birth. Reasons for performing a surgical delivery include an unusually large fetus, breech presentation, the presence of certain infections in the mother, abnormal heart or other fetal medical conditions, the presence of twins or other multiple births and labor failing to progress so as to allow a normal birth. Medical conditions experienced by the mother, including diabetes, may also make it necessary to perform a cesarean delivery.

Risks Associated With C-Section Delivery

Risks associated with a cesarean delivery include infection, excessive bleeding, blood clots, injury to the mother’s internal organs, or adverse drug and anesthesia reactions. Risks increase with future cesarean deliveries. Statistically, the chances are high that an expectant mother having a cesarean delivery will deliver by cesarean in future pregnancies.

Although it is a common procedure, the risks associated with a cesarean should be carefully taken into consideration by an expecting mother before making the decision to undergo the procedure if a safe vaginal delivery is possible.

If a woman believes that a pregnancy-related injury might have been caused by OB/GYN negligence or delivery room negligence, she might seek answers to her questions and concerns by consulting with a medical malpractice attorney in New Haven.