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Does doctor negligence contribute to high maternal death rates?

On Behalf of | Dec 29, 2017 | medical malpractice

It’s estimated that there are as many as 4 million women who experience an uneventful birthing process in the United States on an annual basis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), though, for another 50,000, it’s quite the opposite. At least 135 new moms or pregnant women experience potentially deadly complications in this country every day.

This trend is quite alarming, especially since among all industrialized nations in the world, the U.S. is the one country with the highest maternal mortality rate. It’s estimated that as many as 900 American women die either while pregnant or giving birth each year in the U.S. At least 70 of these women die from organ failure or hemorrhages.

Medical experts argue that these women would have had a stronger likelihood of having survived the conditions that ultimately robbed them of their lives had their obstetricians been more proactive.

Researchers note that U.S. doctors are reportedly quick to pursue more invasive or life-threatening medical procedures when treating pregnant women or new mothers than in other countries.

They note that American women have five times the likelihood of being ordered to have a hysterectomy than a woman in either Sweden or Great Britain. They note that in the U.S., this procedure is routinely carried out in women experiencing heavy uterine bleeding or other reproductive tract infections with little reservations.

In a country like the United Kingdom, women who have just given birth are also three times less likely than their American counterparts to be outfitted with breathing tubes postpartum.

Researchers note that U.K. physicians are keen on closely analyzing cases involving maternal or infant deaths. They argue that it has aided them in gaining an upper hand on how to avoid future ones. At least 30 American states have policies in place requiring them to more closely scrutinize maternal deaths, although it’s unclear how many ensure they’re completed.

If you’ve lost a loved one either during pregnancy, childbirth or during the postpartum period, then a Chicago medical malpractice attorney may advise you of your right to recover damages in your case.

Source: Philly Voice, “Severe complications for women during childbirth are skyrocketing — and could often be prevented,” Katherine Ellison, Dec. 26, 2017

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