Everyone wants to have a healthy baby, so it is disheartening when they hear that something is amiss with during labor. The possibility of a forceps delivery comes up if labor isn’t progressing or if there are certain issues with the baby. While this might be the best option for delivery at the time, there are some serious risks that come with forceps being used to help.
One issue that can lead to forceps being used is if your baby’s heartbeat isn’t within the normal range. If this is the case, immediate delivery is necessary. The forceps are sometimes an alternative to a C-section. While forceps might help a woman avoid that surgical delivery, she should be provided with information about the dangers.
A forceps delivery may not be the right choice if your baby’s head isn’t past the midpoint in the birth canal or the shoulders or arms are located before the head in the birth canal. Having a baby with a head that is too large to fit through the pelvis also would indicate that forceps aren’t appropriate.
When forceps are used to deliver a baby, the mother and the baby both face some serious risks. Uterine rupture, perineum pain, weakened organs, and incontinence are some that the potential issues for the mother. Facial injuries, skull fractures, intracranial bleeding, eye trauma and seizures are all possible for the baby. When these happen, parents might opt to explore their options for seeking compensation from the medical providers and/or facility at fault to help them cover the resulting costs and damages.
