Cesarean section births are no safer for premature babies than a vaginal delivery and might even increase the risk of respiratory problems and other complications such as cerebral palsy, according to a new study of c-section births that is gaining national attention.
The study was conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins and Yale Universities and was recently presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine.
Speaking about the study on NBC’s “The Today Show” this morning, NBC Chief Medical Editor Dr. Nancy Snyderman said that the researchers found a 30 percent increase in medical complications in babies who were delivered via C-section. Among the medical complications noted were difficulty breathing and feeding, temperature control problems, and jaundice.
Additionally, she said that the medical issues could worsen over time, and that prematurely taking a baby out of the womb could increase the risk of significant long-term complications, including cerebral palsy.
“In the last few weeks of a pregnancy, that’s when the lungs and the brain are really developing, so developmental problems, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, all of those things become compounded if a baby is taken out prematurely,” Snyderman said.
Snyderman added that the longer the baby stays in the womb – preferably for at least 40 weeks – the better the outcome will be. Recent conventional wisdom used by many doctors regarding babies who were growing at a slower rate than desired is to perform a C-section birth early and then treat the baby in the ICU instead of letting it remain in the womb, said Snyderman.
If you or a loved one have a child that suffered a birth injury such as cerebral palsy that may have been caused by medical error or misjudgment, contact Sokolove Law today to learn more about pursuing a birth injury lawsuit.