Having a newborn baby is one of the most precious times in a mother’s life, and one of the most important in the child’s. A mother and her child create inexplicable bonds during the first few weeks as the child lies near the mother’s heart, feeling it beat.
What should be one of the most wonderful times can quickly become one of the scariest for a mother whose child is born with a birth injury due to doctor malpractice. Instead of bonding with the child, the mother is fraught with worry over the baby’s health, the cost of treatment and the quality of life the child will have into the future.
A new study has found a link between epidurals and fevers that increase the risk for problems during birth. According to the research, the baby could experience breathing difficulties that could prevent oxygen to the brain, poor muscle tone, damaging seizures and other complications that could — and often do – lead to permanent injuries.
The research found a correlation between the use of epidurals and an increased temperature. Over 19 percent of the mothers who had received an epidural during labor had a temperature of over 100.4 degrees. Approximately 12 percent of those babies required resuscitation efforts immediately after delivery. When the mother’s temperature increased above 101, the chances of the baby suffering a seizure increased as well.
Although epidurals are a common practice in North Carolina — approximately 60 percent of women across the nation receive an epidural during labor — when administered incorrectly, can cause serious damage to both the mother and the baby.
Source: US News, “Epidural Plus Fever in Mom May Raise Risks for Baby,” Jenifer Goodwin, Feb. 3, 2012