Epidurals and Your Baby
Getting an epidural is a common way to help mothers alleviate their labor pains. Generally, the side effects are mild and mostly affect the mother, but in some cases, an epidural can cause some unpleasant side effects for the baby as well.
Getting an Epidural
An epidural occurs when doctors directly inject an anesthetic into the spine of a mother in labor. This serves to block the nerves from sending pain transmissions to the brain. Receiving a spinal tap for the epidural can take ten to fifteen minutes, and the pain blockage is not always guaranteed.
Side Effects to the Mother
Although epidurals are supposed to offer relief to a mother giving birth, there are some adverse side effects which can occur. These can include:
- A drop in blood pressure
- Headaches that can last up to several months
- Damage to the nervous system
- Growth of an abscess
- Paralysis
- Death
What about the Baby?
Since an epidural is directly administered into the mother’s spine, the negative side effects of epidurals are mostly concentrated on her. However, the loss of blood pressure that can occur with an epidural can be harmful for the baby.
An epidural can cause your baby to have an abnormal heart rate and/or fetal distress. This can happen because of the sideways position a mother must sustain to have her spinal tap. Also, the drop in the mother’s blood pressure can in turn lessen the amount of blood flowing to the baby, decreasing its blood pressure as well. Sometimes, this fetal distress and unnatural heart rate can require a surgical delivery.
Contact Us
If you received an epidural which resulted in injury to your child, this may qualify as medical malpractice. To contact an attorney specializing in birth injury, call the Philadelphia birth injury lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. at 215-238-1130 today.