Bowel Symptoms and Negligent Maternity Care
Speak to a legal specialist if you are struggling with the shocking symptoms of an undiagnosed maternal birth tear.
Vaginal childbirth and the risk of a severe anal tear
During the course of vaginal childbirth, it is important that maternity professionals remember to consider and assess the impact which the delivery of the baby has had on the health of the mother.
One vitally important aspect of maternal welfare is to ensure the integrity of the woman's perineum and anal muscles following the pressure and demands created by the birth of the baby.
For a woman giving birth to experience a tear around the vagina and perineum is not surprising and the majority of women suffer this outcome.
For a minority, however, the outcome is far more severe both in the extent of the damage as well as the severity of the associated symptoms.
3rd and 4th degree tears go well beyond the damage of a smaller tear. These severe tears damage the muscles around the anus which control the passing of wind and faeces.
The problem of anal muscle damage
There are a number of problems which can be associated with this form of damage during vaginal childbirth.
The first is the difficulty around identification. For such damage to be identified, it is essential that the new mother undergoes a digital rectal examination. A visual examination of the perineum is not sufficient. A specific rectal examination is required to check for anal damage.
Secondly, when such damage is present, it should be accurately diagnosed according to the extent of the injury as either a 3a, 3b, 3c or 4th degree tear. If the diagnosis is inaccurate, the new mother may not receive a full repair and will suffer on-going symptoms.
Thirdly, the repair needs to be carried out by an experienced surgeon in an operating theatre, using appropriate materials and techniques. Without this, the injury may break down and symptoms may return.
Claiming compensation for negligence
If maternity professionals do not provide an adequate level of care of the new mother's perineum and anal sphincter, it is possible that she will be left with distressing and debilitating bowel symptoms.
Where this is the case, a claim for compensation will take account of any financial losses caused by the impact of the negligence. This could include a loss of earnings if the new mother is now struggling to work or finds that some types of employment are no longer possible. It could also include the costs of treatment and equipment insofar as these have been caused by the negligent care.
Talk to a specialist solicitor
Glynns Solicitors are specialists in medical negligence law and have extensive experience of maternal birth injury claims.
Contact us today to talk to a solicitor, free of charge, about making a claim for compensation.
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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