Compensating Traumatic Perineal Birth Injury Negligence
Failure to provide suitable medical care of a severe perineal birth injury may be seen as medical negligence and can justify a claim for compensation.
What is a perineal birth injury?
A perineal birth injury is damage to the perineum, between the vagina and anus, which occurs during vaginal childbirth. Damage to this area is common during childbirth due to the pressure created by the birth of the baby. There are suggestions that manual protection of the perineum and pre-natal exercises can reduce the likelihood of this type of injury, but they still affect many women.
The most severe forms of perineal injury in fact extend beyond the perineum and cause damage to the anal sphincter. The anal sphincter is the muscles, both external and internal, which control bowel movement. Damage to these muscles is extremely serious as it can reduce a woman's ability to control the passing of wind and faeces.
How does negligence occur?
The potential for severe birth tears to cause bowel incontinence means that extreme care needs to be taken by medical professionals in the prevention, diagnosis and repair of these appalling injuries.
If a birth tear has caused injury to the anal sphincter, the damage needs to be diagnosed both promptly and accurately as a 3a, 3b, 3c or 4th degree tear. Without diagnosis, the new mother will not undergo an adequate repair and may suffer permanent bowel difficulties.
Even a misdiagnosis can mean that part of a tear remains unrepaired, allowing symptoms to develop.
Likewise, a poor-quality repair can allow symptoms to recur or worsen, causing the new mother extreme distress and embarrassment and restricting her ability to leave the house, support her baby and return to work.
How can a compensation claim help?
If an undiagnosed severe perineal injury has left a woman with life-changing and on-going symptoms, a successful compensation can help.
Financial losses caused by the negligence, such as loss of earnings, or the costs of additional care, can form part of a claim for compensation if medical professionals have failed in their duty of care to a patient.
Knowing that the negligence has been acknowledged and that the financial compensation will help to rectify a family's financial problems, can also help to alleviate a woman's distress and sense at injustice at what has happened.
Speak to a legal specialist
Medical negligence compensation claims are complex and require the support of a legal specialist.
Here at Glynns Solicitors, all our lawyers are experts in medical negligence compensation.
Contact us today to talk to a specialist solicitor about the possibility of making a claim for compensation.
Please call us on 0800 234 3300 (or from a mobile 01275 334030) or complete our Online Enquiry Form.
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