Mothers’ Guide on How to Prevent Birthing Injuries
By Space Coast Daily // June 7, 2020
Expectant mothers are hoping for the best and look forward to a safe pregnancy and delivery. To avoid birthing injuries, both the mother and the health care provider should make sure that the baby will be healthy throughout the pregnancy and upon birth.
The doctor should see to it that prenatal supplements are carefully prescribed, have routine check-ups to check on the conditions of both mother and baby, and safely deliver the baby.
However, there are cases where birthing injuries happen during delivery, here are some steps that an expectant mother can do to avoid the risks of having their baby injured:
Get Prenatal Care
The pregnant mother should see to it that prenatal check-up takes place once a positive pregnancy is confirmed. The doctor or health care provider should be able to give assessments of both the mother and the baby’s condition, or fetus’ conditions during the first 4-5 weeks.
Several tests should be done to check conditions like diabetes, pre-eclampsia, or a high-risk pregnancy. These tests can help the doctor determine and find out if there is a probability of fetal issues.
Once these are detected, a birth injury can be avoided or proper procedures are well-planned to make the pregnancy safe for both mothers and babies during and after delivery. Special prenatal programs can be recommended if the pregnancy is at high risk.
Prevent Pre-Mature Birth
Having pre-mature birth should be avoided, often premature babies can have low birth weights, underdeveloped body organs, and weak immunity system. If these conditions happen, based on birth injury facts, they can lead to a high probability of neonatal brain damage or disabilities.
However, premature birth can now be prevented as soon as the doctor knows about the condition, interventions can be done:
• Progesterone intake because this hormone is needed for pregnancy maintenance
• Magnesium Sulfate prescription as this compound can suppress pre-term labor
• A temporary stitch, called cervical cerclage, to keep the cervix closed until the baby is born
But if premature birth is inevitable, which can be due to other pregnancy complications that may occur, it is the doctor’s decision to recommend for c-section or induce labor. This can prevent the risk of having birth injuries.
Monitor and Detect Fetal Distress
At the start of pregnancy, your health care provider should be able to monitor signals of fetal distress.
During prenatal checkups, the doctor should check on these, because once fetal distress is detected, this means the baby is deprived of oxygen.
Some of the signs may be:
• Abnormal or irregular fetal heart rate
• Abnormal amniotic fluid volume
• Cramping
• Vaginal Bleeding
• Reduced fetal movement
• Heart rate monitoring is very vital to make sure that there will be no injuries during birthing.
Proper Care at NICU
If the baby is admitted to NICU, all necessary precautions should be observed while taking care of the fragile premature baby. The pediatrician should administer procedures with the parents’ consent and every single step should be executed properly and correctly to avoid any injury to the baby.
Common birth injuries can be avoided if medical professionals recognize and foresee the risk factors related to pregnancy. Medical malpractice can be avoided by having a proper diagnosis from the beginning.
And, all tests, procedures, and interventions should be done with consent information. Once risks are detected, the doctors should be able to do risk analysis and do possible and safest ways to deliver the baby.
CLICK HERE FOR BREVARD COUNTY NEWS
