Expecting Texas mothers may have to alter their lifestyles when a baby
is on the way, but most of these steps are relatively minor. Preventing
pregnancy-related injuries may involve taking it easy regarding exercise,
baby-proofing the home or trading-in their car for something more family-friendly.
Few pregnant women in Houston expect that bed rest will be a part of the
equation, but for some it is required by their doctor. Every year, about
one out of every five pregnant women is ordered to take bed rest of some sort.
One of the main reasons why a doctor might urge bed rest for a pregnant
woman is if her body is displaying signs that it is getting ready to give
birth when the due date is still far away. Other indications that bed
rest may be ordered include pre-eclampsia, insufficient growth of the
unborn child, issues with the placenta, a prematurely-dilated or short
cervix or high blood pressure. In addition, a pregnancy with twins, triplets
or other multiples is also a frequent source of a bed rest prescription.
Interestingly, new evidence has surfaced that indicates bed rest may not
be necessary for pregnant women. In fact, it may even do more harm than
good in some cases. According to Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, bed
rest does not benefit pregnant women. The recent research indicates that
bed rest doesn’t significantly help the goals behind it, and even
many obstetricians admit that they expect few benefits from the practice.
One of the reasons given for why bed rest is still recommended, despite
lack of evidence of its benefits, is that there are still few effective
interventions for premature births. Births which take place too early
form the primary cause of infant mortality. Unfortunately, despite advances
in medical science there is still little doctors can do to prevent them.
As the new research indicates, doctors are not perfect. Negligent monitoring
of a pregnant woman could include recommending too much bed rest or using
activity restriction that is not personalized to the patient’s unique
medical situation. Negligent doctors or hospitals can be held accountable
in Texas if their actions, or failures to act, cause damages to either
mother or baby.