A scheduled vaginal delivery for a pregnant woman who has formerly underwent a C-section ought to take into account that this puts the patient in danger of a ruptured uterus. When this happens the unborn baby’s precious oxygen supply, which is normally obtained by the placenta, can be cut off. When this continues for a prolonged span of time the unborn child may sustain brain damage and be left with significant lasting disabilities.

Examine a recently reported case about a pregnant woman who was admitted to the hospital for a planned vaginal delivery of her baby. She underwent a C-section in a prior pregnancy but the nurse applied a drug widely employed to induce labor. The application of this medication , however, needs to be diligently followed as it become a major problem especially at greater levels. The nurse did not inform the attending doctor that the pregnant woman's contractions became irregular Instead, even though the contractions increased to obviously dangerous levels, the nurse kept applying more of the drug.

The child was deprived of vital oxygen for an interval of approximately 18-20 minutes from what was later determined to be a uterine rupture. The baby was in fetal distress during this time – a situation that can be tracked by a machine which monitors the unborn child’s heart rate. The diagnosis: cerebral palsy. Consequently, the baby will never be able to talk or to walk. He will never be able to hold anything in his hands. He will never be able to eat on his own. He will always require the use of a feeding tube. He will always need full-time life assistance. He does, though, recognize his family and he is aware. The law firm that handled this matter announced that the lawsuit went to trial and the jury returned a verdict of $31,000,000. This sum included $26 Million for the cost of future medical care.

As the matter discussed above illustrates nurses and hospital staff need to be able to figure out when problems happen during a pregnancy. They also need to know and understand the effects and danger signs of the drugs they administer, and inform the doctor of any symptoms that indicate there is a difficulty developing. Whether the result of a deficiency of training, inexperience, overwork, or communication breakdowns, a failure in any (or as in this case all) of these areas can result in devastating injuries to the baby. If this happens the family might be able to bring a lawsuit for malpractice. As this matter additionally reveals, such lawsuits, because of the nature and degree of the injury to the baby, can lead to a substantial recovery.