Anal Injury Missed After Vaginal Childbirth
If an anal injury during childbirth remains unrepaired, the new mother may be able to claim compensation for the impact on her life and ability to work.
Vaginal childbirth tears
A risk of vaginal childbirth is a tear to the perineum. Occasionally, this injury can extend beyond the perineum and enter the anal sphincter where it can, unless promptly diagnosed, cause life-changing injury.
Thankfully, only a small minority of women suffer a 3rd or 4th degree tear but the consequences can be shocking.
This is a known risk, especially for women who are giving birth for the first time and women who are undergoing an instrumental delivery. Consequently, it is to be expected that maternity professionals, who should be familiar with the risks and urgency of this injury, do all that they can to identify if a woman has suffered one of these injuries.
This requires them to carry out a digital rectal examination of the new mother shortly after the birth of her baby. This should enable them to identify any damage to the anal muscles. If a tear has occurred, it is important that the injury is classified correctly as either a 3a, 3b, 3c or 4th degree tear.
With a misdiagnosis or no diagnosis, the new mother may leave hospital with a severe and life-changing injury.
Permanent symptoms include a loss of control of the passing of both wind and faeces which can utterly undermine a woman's self-confidence, quality of life, ability to support her new-born baby and reduce her capacity to work.
Medical negligence and claiming compensation
Maternity professionals may be regarded as negligent if they fail in their care of a new mother's perineum, leaving her with bowel symptoms.
Negligence may include a failure to carry out a thorough examination, a failure of diagnosis, a misdiagnosis and a failure to effect a comprehensive repair.
Where the appalling symptoms of negligence, such as bowel incontinence, reduce a woman's capacity to work or necessitate specialist treatment or care, the associated financial losses and costs can be included in a claim.
Speak to a legal specialist
Glynns Solicitors have many years' experience of supporting complex anal sphincter birth tear claims and fully understand the distress and damage to quality of life which these injuries can cause.
If you are struggling with just this scenario and suspect that your maternity care was substandard, contact us today to talk to a solicitor, free of charge, about the possibility of making a claim.
We can offer No Win No Fee medical negligence funding which we will discuss with you during your free initial telephone discussion.
Please call us on 0800 234 3300 (or from a mobile 01275 334030) or complete our Online Enquiry Form.
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