Bowel Incontinence Due to Negligent Maternity Care
In the short-term, some bowel difficulties and leakage following vaginal childbirth are not uncommon. On-going and severe difficulties, including incontinence of both wind and faeces, might suggest that there is an underlying problem which has been neither diagnosed nor repaired.
Maternity care of the maternal perineum
The perineum, the region between the vagina and the anus, comes under significant pressure during the vaginal birth of a baby. It is essential that the medical professionals attendant at a vaginal birth are aware of the potential for permanent damage and are trained in the examination, recognition and accurate diagnosis of such damage.
Without such competent medical care, significant damage, which can also affect the anal muscles can remain undiagnosed, leaving a new mother to develop shocking symptoms of wind and faecal incontinence.
3rd and 4th degree tears
Third and fourth degree tears, also referred to as OASI or severe perineal tears, go beyond the perineum. Their extent is such that they cause damage to the muscles which control and prevent bowel movement.
Prompt surgical repair is essential. This requires a skilled surgeon with experience in this type of injury.
Negligence, and its shocking impact, can occur in a number of ways:
- A failure to carry out a digital rectal examination leading to a complete failure to diagnose a 3rd or 4th degree tear
- A failure to recognise and diagnose a severe tear despite carrying out an examination
- A misdiagnose of a severe tear as a lesser 1st or 2nd degree tear
- A poor-quality repair which is either deficient in technique or fails to address the entirety of the injury, allowing symptoms to continue and, possibly, worsen
Contact us today to discuss the suitability of making a claim for compensation for your substandard maternity care.
Please call us on 0800 234 3300 (or from a mobile 01275 334030) or complete our Online Enquiry Form.
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