Having a baby is a wonderful time for families. Should medical professionals not follow adequate care and procedures, you may be able to receive compensation. Our No Win, No Fee medical negligence claim policy ensures that, no matter your financial situation, you can seek justice for any injuries by medical staff negligence during childbirth.
A uterine rupture is one of many birth injuries that can occur during childbirth due to medical negligence, posing a great risk to both mother and baby. In addition to potentially being fatal, lifelong conditions can require expensive treatments or care, which can place a considerable strain on your financial and emotional.
What is a Uterine Rupture?
A uterine rupture occurs when there is a tear in the wall of the uterus. It tends to occur when mothers have a previous caesarean section scar, according to a 25-year study on this injury. Pressure builds up during labour as the baby begins to move through the birth canal, pressure which can cause tears of the uterine wall.
A uterine rupture can cause the contents of the uterus to spill into the abdomen of the mother. Babies are at a higher risk of complications should a uterine rupture occur. Medical professionals have to deliver babies within between 10 to 40 minutes or as quickly as possible to avoid a long period of lack of oxygen.
An abnormality in the baby’s heart rate and labour slowing down or stopping can be main indicators of a uterine rupture. This makes it essential to monitor babies closely during labour. During labour, there is a wide range of symptoms that can occur with a uterine rupture. Mothers can potentially suffer from the following:
- Abdominal pain
- Rapid pulse
- Signs of shock
- Vaginal bleeding
- Chest pain due to internal bleeding
- Bulging under the pubic bone
- Sudden pain between contractions
- Sudden pain in the area of a previous uterine scar
- Baby’s head recedes back into the birth canal
When Uterine Rupture Results from Negligence
Several factors can cause medical professionals to be negligent, resulting in uterine rupture and potential damage to mother, baby, or both. Ruptures need diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible. Should medication be behind the rupture, it should be stopped immediately.
The baby will be delivered through emergency caesarean section and the damage to the uterus repaired. Should the damage be too severe and the bleeding excessive, a hysterectomy may be needed. Because uterine ruptures involve high blood loss, mothers tend to require blood transfusions.
A few reasons of uterine rupture due to medical negligence are:
- Failure to identify the need of a caesarean section, when a previous cesarean section was performed.
- Delays in diagnosing and managing uterine ruptures.
- Delays in performing emergency caesarean section after a uterine rupture diagnosis.
- Failure of medical professionals identifying existing conditions or procedures that contributed to uterine rupture.
- Failure to properly manage the acceleration or induction of labour.
- Use of oxytocic medication to induce labour, causing stronger and more violent contractions that lead to uterine rupture.
- Failure to properly monitor the baby during labour.
Making a Medical Negligence Claim on Uterine Rupture
A delay in treating a uterine rupture can cause various birth injuries to both mother and baby. These can translate to newborns suffering brain damage such as cerebral or Erb’s palsy, organ damage for mothers, hysterectomy due to the uterus being too damaged, severe blood loss that leads to collapse, shock, and injury, and even death of mother and/or baby.
Should you decide to make a claim on your behalf or on a loved one’s behalf, our team will discuss with you the circumstances of what happened. This will help us to know whether you have a negligence claim case. If you do have a case, we will help you to gather the evidence needed to provide you a higher chance of being successful.
We will look at medical records to study them and to understand if you or your family member received negligent care from medical professionals. Our team will initiate court proceedings if expert evidence to support the compensation claims exists. We always aim to solve claims cases outside of court. This ensures the least amount of stress to you and your family.
At The Claims Partnership we understand that birth injuries and resulting conditions can be extremely distressing. Our team of professionals will always ensure that you have all the information every step of the way. We always provide the compassionate service you and your family deserve.
Make sure to contact us on 01772 562084 for a no-obligation chat and we’ll happily answer any questions that you might have. You can also fill in the contact form to speak with us if you wish to, and a member of our team will be in touch.