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What dangers might you face in an induced labor?

On Behalf of | Aug 7, 2015 | Pregnancy-Related Injuries

Expecting a baby should be one of the most exciting times of an expectant mother’s life. She should not have to worry about her own safety, or that of her baby, during a routine labor and delivery. If a baby is in your future, you have probably discussed delivery plans with your doctor. You may have learned about numerous labor induction methods, especially if your pregnancy is nearing full term and labor has shown no signs of approaching. Inducing labor is commonly practiced in delivery rooms across the country, including in Massachusetts.

While labor induction has successfully resulted in safe and effective deliveries for most patients, some have ended in tragic results, reports Fox News. Medical professionals say that labor induction is necessary for women with certain medical conditions or pregnancy complications, including gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, high blood pressure, placental abruption or the baby not growing at a normal rate.

Pitocin is one of the most common medications used to induce labor, and has been suspected in causing numerous risks to the mother or unborn child. Some medical professionals claim that induction may raise a mother’s risk of getting an infection or having an unscheduled C-section, or the baby experiencing problems with the umbilical cord. Medications that cause contractions may also cause a risk of uterine rupture. One tragic case occurred when a woman started experiencing unusual pain after her second dose of Cytotec, an induction drug. She claimed that medical staff didn’t listen to her for two hours – by then her uterus had ruptured, she was in danger of bleeding out and her baby died.

These days, inducing labor appears to be on the decline, perhaps after doctors and researchers have realized it is not always in the best interests of a mother or unborn baby to start labor unnaturally. The information in this blog post is meant to inform you of the risks you may face during labor induction, but should not be taken as legal advice.

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