Birth injury compensation news
22/10/2007

Caesarean raises womb tear risk

Research into the affects of Caesarean sections has revealed that there could well be an increase in the amount of birth injury compensation claims made.

A study of more than 300,000 Swedish women by Emory University, Atlanta, and the Karolinska in Stockholm found that nine in every 1,000 mothers who opted for a vaginal delivery after having previously given birth by Caesarean were likely to suffer a rupture to their uterus.

Most women who have had a Caesarean are offered the option of another the next time that they have a baby. However, most would rather give birth the natural way in order to avoid undergoing an operation that could cause birth injuries to both them and their child and this now shows that they could be at substantial risk.

But, this was not noted as the only factor that would increase their risk of sustaining a birth injury. Women who gave birth aged 35 or over were almost three times more vulnerable to a uterine tear, as were those classed as clinically obese, those who gave birth to babies weighing at least 4kg and those who had late births.

Also, those who had their labour induced were considered at higher risk than those whose birth started spontaneously. The reason for this was attributed to the chemicals used to induce birth weakening scars from previous Caesareans and causing them to tear.

There is a great need for women to know the risks and bear them in mind before getting pregnant and when considering their birthing requirements. Such information should play a part in reducing the chances of having to contact personal injury solicitors to make a claim for birth injury compensation.

On obtaining the results, Professor Philip Steer, editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, commented, "The rate of Caesarean deliveries continues to increase in the developed world which means that a growing percentage of women will experience birth following a previous Caesarean section.

"Although uterine rupture is a relatively rare occurrence, the consequences can be devastating.

"The link between a prior Caesarean section and uterine rupture during subsequent delivery warrants very careful management of pregnancy and labour so that early signs of difficulty can be speedily detected."

A spokesperson from the Royal College of Midwives commented that the research highlighted the fact that a caesarean carried a long-term risk, "We believe the Caesarean should be between 10% and 15%, but at present it is 23% in the UK", she also said, "We should be asking ourselves why the Caesarean rate is so high."

Pregnancy can be a worrying time as it is, so increasing awareness of the results of this study could be a vital stage to reducing the rate of birth injuries sustained by women who give birth by Caesarean section.

Read more about how to make a claim for birth injury compensation.