According to a study released by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, the United States is one of the few countries in which maternal mortality rates have risen in the past few years. The study identifies chronic medical issues like obesity and diabetes as the primary causes of the increased mortality rate. But, maternal deaths due to hemorrhaging, while declining, are not eliminated.
In New York City, there were 38 maternal deaths attributable to blood loss between 2006 and 2010 during 630,000 live births. Luckily, those figures are low. However, they are still higher than many other countries. Moreover, critical errors by hospital staff still lead to deaths.
For instance, one woman went into early labor, which her treating hospital failed to catch. She was discharged only to awake several hours later to intense pain. She delivered her baby in her bathroom with the help of a neighbor before going to the nearest hospital.
The doctors attempted to manually remove the placenta, as it wasn’t yet delivered, but the procedure failed. The doctors then tried a different procedure. Unfortunately, she displayed signs of a hemorrhage which the doctors were unable to stop. She passed away later that night.
If you or a loved one suffered an injury due to hospital negligence, then you may want to call a lawyer. Sometimes hospitals and doctors make errors, which result in serious harm to families and leave you reeling. Sadly, many hospitals’ instinct is to circle the wagons and delay explanations. You may want to speak to an attorney to help you get some answers. You deserve answers to help you and your family.
Source: New York Times, “A Women Dies After Childbirth, and Her Husband Asks Why,” Samantha Schmidt, September 28, 2016
