Negligent Childbirth Care and Compensation for OASI Damage
If you or a loved one are struggling with the shocking symptoms of an OASI anal sphincter injury) following childbirth, it may be possible to make a claim for compensation.
Negligent childbirth care
Competent care of both mother and baby during vaginal childbirth is absolutely crucial. Unfortunately, damage to the new mother's perineum (the region between the vagina and the anus) and anal sphincter is sometimes misdiagnosed, leaving the woman to suffer appalling and on-going bowel problems.
Care guidelines from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, recommend that all women who have given birth through the vagina should undergo a thorough examination of the perineum following their baby's birth, including a digital rectal examination. Without this it is unlikely that damage to the anal sphincter will be correctly diagnosed or, indeed, diagnosed at all.
A cursory examination may only diagnose 1st or 2nd degree tears which do not affect the anal muscles. If a woman has suffered a 3rd or 4th degree tear instead, her bowel function will suffer without a prompt surgical repair.
Anal sphincter injuries
Vaginal birth tears mostly affect the perineum only but, if the anal sphincter has been affected, it is essential that this damage is diagnosed. The anal sphincter is the muscles, both external and internal, which work together to control the passing of wind and faeces and if they are damaged, the new mother may lose this control.
She may start to suffer extreme urgency when needing the toilet as well as experiencing leakage or incontinence. In the most severe cases, she may require a stoma to be fitted to provide bowel function.
As can be imagined, loss of control of the passing of wind and faeces can impact a woman's life in a variety of distressing ways. As well as the practical, personal and emotional implications, bowel symptoms can affect a woman's capacity to work, especially in some public-facing roles, and may cause her to suffer a significant loss of income.
Where this is the result of negligent maternity care, it may be possible to claim compensation.
Speak to a legal specialist
Glynns Solicitors is a dedicated medical negligence legal practice with considerable expertise of maternal birth injury claims. Our years of experience of supporting such claims has given us significant insight into the nature and depth of the impact of these appalling injuries and we are, as a result, ideally placed to help you with your claim.
Contact us today to speak with a specialist solicitor, free of charge, 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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