Uterine rupture is rare. It occurs in less than 1% (0.07%) of pregnancies. But when it does happen, the consequences can be life-threatening. This is why it’s important to know the signs of uterine rupture.
Below, we’ll give you an overview of this dangerous medical emergency. We’ll also discuss what legal steps you can take when a doctor fails to recognize uterine rupture symptoms, causing injury. If you’d like to discuss your case with a birth injury lawyer, contact us here.
What Is Uterine Rupture?
Uterine rupture is a dangerous birth complication. It occurs when the muscular wall of the uterus tears. This can happen during pregnancy or delivery. It can lead to significant bleeding and potentially life-threatening complications for both the mother and baby.
Uterine rupture is more common in women who are attempting to give birth vaginally after having had a previous C-section. This is because the C-section scar can tear during labor.
Signs Of Uterine Rupture
The signs and symptoms of uterine rupture can vary depending on the severity of the tear. But some common uterine rupture symptoms include:
- Fetal distress. The baby may show signs of distress, such as a slowed heart rate.
- Abdominal pain. Women may experience severe abdominal pain, which may be constant or intermittent. The pain may be localized or spread throughout the abdomen.
- Vaginal/internal bleeding. This may be light or heavy and can occur suddenly or gradually.
- Uterine pressure drops, and contractions become slower.
- Abnormal presentation: The baby isn’t in the normal position for delivery. Or, the baby’s head recedes back into the birth canal during delivery.
- Maternal shock. The mother’s blood pressure drops very low.
As soon as doctors detect uterine rupture symptoms, they should deliver the baby via C-section. After that, they should repair the mother’s torn uterus.
The difficulty with responding to the signs of uterine rupture is that there’s no time to confirm them with an ultrasound. Waiting just 10-30 minutes to deliver the baby can result in permanent brain injury. So doctors have to make a diagnosis based on clinical symptoms alone.
What Happens When Uterine Rupture Symptoms Go Undetected?
If the symptoms of uterine rupture go undetected or are not promptly treated, it can lead to serious consequences.
Consequences for the mother include:
- Life-threatening blood loss. 1% of mothers who experience uterine rupture die.
- Damage to other organs, such as the bladder or bowel. This damage can lead to infection, infertility, or even death.
- If the rupture occurs during a vaginal delivery, emergency surgery may be necessary to remove the uterus (hysterectomy).
Consequences for the baby include:
- Oxygen deprivation, which can cause brain damage and developmental delays.
- The baby may also become stuck in the birth canal. This can result in shoulder dystocia, brachial plexus injury, or other birth injuries.
- Fetal death from asphyxia. About 6% of babies do not survive uterine rupture.
Uterine Rupture Injury Lawsuits
When doctors ignore or fail to respond to uterine rupture symptoms and cause permanent injury, it may constitute malpractice. Patients or their families can file a birth injury lawsuit to hold the negligent practitioner responsible.
Our law firm has ample experience with birth injury lawsuits. We have handled several cases in which doctors failed to respond to signs of uterine rupture. Notable verdicts include:
- A $1,000,000 verdict for a ruptured uterus, resulting in cerebral palsy.
- A $3,000,000 verdict or a ruptured uterus, resulting in cerebral palsy.
See more birth injury case results here.
Keep in mind that winning a birth injury lawsuit is far from easy. It takes preparation, persistence, and experience.
You’ll also need these key elements:
- Negligence: You must prove that the healthcare provider was negligent in the care of the mother and/or baby. This means that the healthcare provider failed to provide the accepted standard of care, which resulted in the injury.
- Causation: You have to prove that the healthcare provider’s negligence directly caused the birth injury. You must establish a link between the healthcare provider’s actions and the harm caused to the mother and/or baby.
- Damages: You must show that you suffered damages as a result of the birth injury. This can include medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering,and more.
- Expert testimony: Birth injury cases often require expert testimony from medical professionals. They can speak to the standard of care in the particular circumstances of the case.
- Timeliness: Birth injury lawsuits must be filed within a certain time frame. This is known as the statute of limitations. The time limit varies by state.
Do you believe your doctor mishandled signs of uterine rupture? Were you or your baby injured as a result? You must act fast while there’s still time. Click here to schedule a free consultation with our expert birth injury lawyers.