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A doctor is applauding the efforts of a group of sixteen Midwest hospitals who are revising their practices in order to better protect newborns during childbirth.
According to a recent report in the Wall Street Journal, hospitals in the Ascension Health, Fairview Health Services and the University of Minnesota Public Health groups involved in the revision process have seen a drastic reduction in birth injuries and deaths in the two years since they began using the updated safety protocol series.
“Attorneys representing families who have experienced the tragedy of a birth injury have forced hospitals to take a hard look at what’s wrong with their practices. To their credit, these hospitals have responded positively and have taken up the challenge to improve.”
The new practices improve communication and teamwork so doctors and nurses can be free to quickly react to difficulties as they arise.
The “care bundles,” as these protocols are called, were developed as part of an obstetrics safety program by a North Carolina-based company called Premier Inc. Five of the most common delivery room concerns were addressed: waiting too long to start a cesarean section, failing to observe fetal distress in time to prevent disasters, failing to resuscitate infants, improper administration of labor-inducers which cause allergic reactions, and misusing vacuums and forceps causing untold damage to tiny infant bodies.
Hospitals saw a drop in birth injuries by 11.6 percent after adopting the procedures. Cases of oxygen deprivation, the leading cause of brain and nervous system conditions in newborns, dropped by 31.4 percent. These are wonderful and welcome advances. Those who have suffered cheer for these improvements that will save other families from the same torment they have faced.
As observers have seen in many cases, even the slightest hesitance in responding to a birth emergency can have a devastating effect which is why it is of utmost importance for hospitals in Nassau and Suffolk to constantly work on improving their practices and procedures, as these exemplar hospitals are doing.
Even with improvements in patient care, mishaps still occur at the hands of doctors – every day. When a hospital, doctor, or nurse fails to fulfill his or her duties in the birth of a child, it is important to immediately contact an experienced New York Birth Injury Attorney. The Office of Stephen Bilkis and Associates can offer you support and guidance as well as a free consultation when you contact us at 1-800-NY-NY-LAW. We have offices in NY City, including Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island and The Bronx and in Nassau County, Suffolk County and Westchester County.