FORCEPS DELIVERY  

A variety of different medical tools and devices can be employed during the delivery of a baby. Although every medical team’s goal is to safely delivery babies into the world, medical devices or tools are sometimes used too forcefully or negligently. Birth injuries that occur as a result of overly forceful use of forceps can be devastating for mothers and babies. Difficult or particularly long labors can sometimes result in doctors stepping in to take measures to ensure the safety of both mom and baby, however, it’s never okay to initiate unnecessary and dangerous or forceful medical interventions that can endanger patients. After any type of birth injury resulting from the use of forceps, it’s critical to determine whether or not the decision to use forceps was appropriate and that the tool was used in a safe manner for mother and baby.

Meeting Forceps Delivery Criteria 

Forceps, when used appropriately and safely, are a very important tool in certain cases. In fact, when properly used, they can save lives. That being stated, it’s also important to note that they can be misused and unnecessarily employed, which can endanger babies and their mothers. After any kind of injury resulting from a forceps delivery, it will be necessary to determine if an appropriate criterion was met in order to warrant the use of forceps. Forceps shouldn’t be used as a first result. In some cases, it is safer to provide alternate types of interventions. A decision to use forceps in a delivery is one that no doctor should jump to or make lightly. Because excessive force can cause irreparable damage to mothers and babies, forceps must be used with great care and only when absolutely necessary.

Risks to Mother’s Health Associated With Forceps Delivery

Post Forceps Delivery Monitoring

In addition to using forceps only when it’s absolutely necessary and safe to do so, and using those forceps carefully and without excessive force, post-delivery monitoring is critically important after this type of birth. In some cases, especially where injuries present with subtle symptoms, it’s important to monitor mother and baby after a forceps delivery. Close post-delivery monitoring can mean the difference between catching a birth injury and treating it immediately and letting a child go home without the care the he or she desperately needs. Doctors and medical teams need to be on the lookout for any type of injury that could have occurred as a result of the forceps delivery. Listed below are some potential birth injuries that are commonly associated with negligent forceps deliveries.