Mothers expecting a child depend upon the care and medical advice provided to them. It is vital for healthcare professionals to exercise diligence to observe and manage any potential risks closely. Unfortunately, this is not always the case and mistakes made during the pregnancy could result in the mother and child suffering serious harm or injury, and in some cases death.
A non-exhaustive list of common causes of pregnancy and childbirth injury include:
- Failure to recognise and treat a maternal infection- Untreated infections can cause maternal blood poisoning and can be harmful to unborn babies.
- Perineal tears- One of the most common injuries. In most cases perineal tears (a tear between the vagina and anus) are unavoidable. However, severe tears can occur due to the negligence of medical staff.
- Poorly managed pregnancy complications- Complications such as pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure and protein in urine during pregnancy) when left unidentified can in serious cases result in death to the mother and baby.
- Absence of screening or errors made during the screening- Screening of the baby allows the detection of conditions including down syndrome, developmental abnormalities, and heart or brain defects. This gives parents the option to terminate the pregnancy.
- Miscarriage, stillbirth and neonatal death negligence- A consequence of poor monitoring of the baby’s development through consistent appointments before birth.
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