Uterine Rupture and Medical Malpractice

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 600 women in the United States die each year due to pregnancy or delivery complications. An Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality report revealed that $17.4 billion was spent for maternal care with delivery-related complications in 2008 in the US. That year, 94% of women had some type of pregnancy complication.

According to the National Institutes of Health, about 992-993 women out of 1000 have a delivery without the complication of a uterine rupture.

Uterine rupture is a dangerous delivery and labor complication that comes with a high rate of injury in the fetus and the mother. It occurs when all the layers of the womb (uterus) gets totally disrupted.

This tear in the womb can result in the baby spilling out of the protective environment of the womb and into the mother's abdomen. Whether this happens or not, a uterine rupture can result in serious harm to the mother because of extreme blood loss, and this loss of blood can cause deprivation of oxygen-rich blood to the baby.

The baby can also be deprived of oxygen during a uterine rupture when the tear takes place on or near the umbilical cord. If the doctor cuts off the cord from the baby, or if they cut off the placenta in such a way that it completely or partially stops the ability to supply oxygen to the baby, the baby can suffer from oxygen deprivation.

Fetal oxygen deprivation can result in permanent brain damage hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and cerebral palsy. To make sure that no permanent damage is caused by uterine rupture, an emergency c-section is typically required.

Causes and Risk Factors

The most common cause of a uterine rupture is a uterine scar remaining from a prior cesarean section. Other risk factors include:

• Dysfunctional labor
• A uterine wall that is thinner than 2 mm
• Thin uterine walls caused by congenital uterine anomalies
• Uterine surgery that involves full-thickness incisions, like a myomectomy
• Augmentation of labor by oxytocin or prostaglandins
• High number of times that a woman gives birth, or high parity

Symptoms of a Uterine Rupture

Symptoms of a uterine rupture may include:

• Unusual sharp pain that occurs between contractions
• Excessive vaginal bleeding
• A decrease in baseline uterine pressure as well as muscle tone
• Decrease in the intensity or frequency of contractions
• Fetal distress, include fetal heart rate abnormalities
• Recession of the head of the fetus back into the birth canal
• Protrusion of the uterus indicated by bulging beneath the pubic bone

If you or your baby suffers serious harm as a result of uterine rupture caused by your doctor's negligence, you must immediately seek the assistance of a qualified medical malpractice attorney at Rosenberg, Minc, Falloff,& Wolff of RMFW Law at 212-344-1000. You can discuss how to file a claim against the doctor or hospital.

The first meeting is free. We know how to win cases. What do you have to say? We are paid when you are paid. We only take a percentage of the final verdict or settlement. In essence, you never pay us anything. RMFW Law has won these types of cases before, we do it all the time.