C-Section Risks for Mother & Baby - Health Channel

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C-Section Risks for Mother & Baby |

C-Section Risks for Mother & Baby, Health Channel

C-Section can bring some risks for the mother, such as infection, postpartum hemorrhage, reactions to anesthesia, blood clots, wound infection, surgical injury and increased risks during future pregnancies.

About the baby, Dr. Anna Suarez Davis, Obstetrician and Gynecologist at Baptist Hospital of Miami, says babies born by schedule C-section are more likely to develop a breathing problem marked by abnormally fast breathing during the first few days after birth, and also accidental nicks to the baby’s skin can occur during surgery.

Transcript

C-Section Risks for Mother & Baby, Health Channel

Of course we know we are talking about a surgical procedure and surgery any surgery involves some kind of a risk so we do want to talk a little bit about some of the risks and complications that a c-section may present and we’ll start actually with the mother and I understand we actually have a graphic that kind of illustrates some of them so doctor can you kind of run through here some of the risks that may face a mom who has the c-section sure so the risk of infection is obviously greater because we are going through the tissue in an unnatural fashion and there is bacteria and on the skin and as much as we clean them and we use sterile equipment that is a slightly higher risk the risk for postpartum hemorrhage that is when the mom bleeds too much after the delivery the uterus has to contract in order to prevent that from happening and if there’s an incision on the uterus it’s a it’s harder for that that coordination of the muscle to occur reactions to anesthesia is another is another risk for mom blood clots blood clots are clots that occur in the veins of the legs and those can go up to the lungs and there is certainly life threatening wound infection goes back to the the original or the first point surgical injury obviously we’re using a knife and so there is a risk of injury to bowel bladder vessels nerves and even a slight risk of injury to the baby unfortunately and then there’s increased risk for future pregnancies because of the placental location and the future c-sections okay that makes sense now we just looked at some of the risks you discussed for the mom and as far as any risks or complications that may affect the baby if you could also kind of walk through what some of those might be we have another graphic sure so the the two big ones reading problems so like I mentioned earlier the vaginal delivery helps to get the amniotic fluid from the baby’s lungs and so they have a harder time transitioning to getting oxygen for themselves because of there’s a little bit a little bit more amniotic fluid excuse me surgical injury I mentioned that previously but as we’re getting to the baby there’s a slight risk that the baby could be hurt in the process.

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