Ohio maternity care is under scrutiny after a March of Dimes report revealed that many counties in the state lack adequate labor and delivery support. Roughly 118,000 women live more than 30 minutes from a hospital that provides birthing services, which may contribute to birth injury risk. We explore the facts below.
1 in 5 Counties in Ohio Lacks Birth Care
The March of Dimes reports that one in every five counties qualifies as a maternity care desert. This means there are no obstetric providers or birthing facilities available. Among rural counties, access is especially limited, and approximately 80% have no birthing facility. Overall, 78,000 women are impacted by these shortages.
Do Ohio Maternity Care Deserts Increase Birth Injury Risk?
Having to travel to a hospital to give birth doesn’t automatically increase the risk that something bad will happen. But it does narrow the treatment window if an emergency occurs, and doctors may have less time to respond before the mother or baby is harmed.
For example, if a baby’s umbilical cord becomes compressed and there’s not enough oxygen going to their brain, a 30-minute car ride to the nearest facility could mean the difference between life and death.
Or, if a mother is diagnosed with preeclampsia, labor may need to be induced right away to prevent complications. Problems like placenta previa or placenta accreta may also make vaginal delivery dangerous, and an emergency C-section may need to be done instead. In maternity care deserts, critical interventions could be on hold until the mother gets to a hospital.
Read more: Placental Complications That Can Cause Birth Injuries
Timing and access to advanced care also matter after a baby is born. Lack of oxygen during delivery may cause a condition known as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). While this is treatable with hypothermia therapy, this should ideally be started within six hours of birth.
Rural hospitals that don’t have this kind of care can arrange for the baby to be transported, but the time it takes to get from one facility to another eats into an already narrow treatment window. It also creates another problem: families then have to arrange additional travel, often without their babies.
Read more: Understanding Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)
When Is a Birth Injury Medical Malpractice?
The difference between an unavoidable birth injury and medical malpractice lies in how medical professionals handle the case in front of them. If a mother has to travel from a rural county and there’s less time to respond as a result, healthcare teams should act quickly to identify and treat emergencies. Further delays or failures to provide proper care could result in a preventable injury to the mother, the baby, or both.
Here are some examples of potential negligence:
Scenario 1
A pregnant woman arrives at a small, understaffed rural hospital after she notices heavy vaginal bleeding. Triage is slow due to having too few nurses on hand, and it takes two hours for her to be seen by a physician.
By the time the physician evaluates her and determines she needs to be flown out, she has lost too much blood and dies. A jury later decides that had the hospital been adequately staffed, the mother would have been evaluated in time to receive a blood transfusion and be transferred to a more appropriate facility.
Read more: How Understaffing Contributes to Medical Negligence
Scenario 2
A pregnant woman living in a maternity care desert can only travel to prenatal appointments once every two weeks because of cost and time constraints. Her obstetrician notices mildly elevated protein levels in her urine and decides that since her blood pressure was only borderline, no intervention was needed at that time.
Preeclampsia sets in quickly for this mother, and after a week, she is transported to a hospital via ambulance after having a seizure. The baby is delivered, but the cost of emergency care and additional monitoring after birth is high.
A jury later determines that the obstetrician should have kept in mind that the mother lived in a maternity care desert and could not easily access care. In this case, the mild elevation in protein and blood pressure should have been taken more seriously and acted upon when the mother was already in a county with adequate services.
Read more: Effects of Preeclampsia on the Mother and Baby
The Value of Working with an Ohio Birth Injury Lawyer
Birth trauma can result in long-term costs for family members. This includes treatment costs, mobility devices, or accessibility changes to the home. If the birth injury occurred due to the negligence of a doctor or other health care worker, then family members may be able to file for financial compensation in a birth injury lawsuit.
If you suspect that your baby is suffering from a birth injury, an Ohio birth injury lawyer can be an asset. A lawyer can analyze medical history and delivery notes to find out if malpractice may have played a role.
Contact The Mellino Law Firm Now
You don’t have to know whether your child was injured during delivery to ask questions about what happened. At The Mellino Law Firm, we can help you access critical evidence and look at the facts. Contact us today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss a potential claim and learn about your legal rights by calling (440) 333-3800.