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Kentucky Pitocin Administration Lawyers
Experienced advocacy when newborns suffer harm during their delivery
Obstetricians may use the drug Pitocin to speed up contractions when a mother’s labor stalls or the mother’s due date has passed. At Crandall & Pera Law, we hold birth delivery doctors and hospitals accountable when they administer Pitocin improperly or fail to properly consider other reasonable alternatives such as a C-section. Our Kentucky Pitocin administration lawyers work with medical experts who understand the risks of Pitocin use, how Pitocin should be administered, and the injuries, such as cerebral palsy, that improper use of Pitocin can cause. Call us now if you or your child has a birth injury due to the improper administration of Pitocin.
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Table of Contents
- What is Pitocin?
- When should doctors use Pitocin during a delivery?
- What are the dangers of using Pitocin in Kentucky?
- When can doctors be held liable for Pitocin injuries in Kentucky?
- What is the value of a Pitocin birth or maternal injury claim in Kentucky?
- Do you have a Kentucky Pitocin administration lawyer near me?
What is Pitocin?
According to Drugs.com, Pitocin (which goes by the generic name of oxytocin) is a “hormone that is used to induce labor or strengthen uterine contractions, or to control bleeding after childbirth.” Another use of Pitocin is to “stimulate uterine contractions in a woman with an incomplete or threatened miscarriage.”
How is Pitocin prescribed and administered?
According to Healthline, the delivery medical providers use an IV in the mother’s arm to deliver Pitocin. The level of Pitocin will slowly rise until the mother has regular contractions about every 2 to 3 minutes. The medical team may adjust the level (or end the use altogether) depending on whether the contractions rise, fall, or stay the same.
Doctors and nurses should not administer Pitocin unless the mother’s cervix is “one that’s already gearing up for labor.” The cervix should rotate “to the front to get in the right position for letting your baby out.” “Doctors ‘rate’ a cervix with a Bishop score before deciding if it’s ready for an induction. Anything less than a six means the cervix may not be ready for labor.
Doctors who prescribe Pitocin will normally start with a medication to ripen the cervix before administering Pitocin. The Pitocin drug should start contractions within 30 minutes of use. Pitocin-induced contractions can cause fatigue, which can make the delivery harder.
According to RxList, the pregnancy and delivery doctors should:
- “Electronically monitor the uterine activity and the fetal heart rate throughout the infusion of Pitocin.”
- Stop the infusion of Pitocin if fetal distress or uterine hyperactivity occurs.
Additional medical steps should be taken in both cases, including immediately monitoring the health of both the mother and fetus.
When should doctors use Pitocin during a delivery?
Healthline states that the Pitocin may be considered:
- If the delivery date is overdue
- To avoid a Cesarean delivery
- To avoid risky complications such as preeclampsia, high blood pressure, and infection
- To avoid “complications with a ruptured amniotic sac (aka your water breaking) that isn’t followed by labor or if your labor has stalled”
Generally, Pitocin may be an option if the risk of the baby staying in utero is greater than the risk of induction.
What are the dangers of using Pitocin in Kentucky?
Improper or unnecessary use of Pitocin can cause many different types of complications for the mother and child. The risks of using Pitocin to induce delivery, according to Healthline, include:
- Infections
- Uterine rupture
- Overstimulation of the uterus
- Fetal distress
- Death of the fetus (stillbirth)
The dangers to babies and mothers from Pitocin use include the following:
Maternal injuries
Our Kentucky Pitocin administration lawyers review whether mothers have any of the following complications from using the drug, including:
- A slow, fast, or uneven heart rate
- Excessive bleeding – long after the delivery
- Blurry vision, severe headaches, or pounding in the ears or neck
- Severe weakness, confusion, and unsteadiness
- Death
Other maternal injuries may include a rupture of the uterus, the need to remove the uterus (hysterectomy), and the need for an emergency C-section.
Birth injuries
Pitocin can harm your child in different serious or life-threatening ways, including:
- An abnormal or slow heart rate
- Jaundice
- Seizures
- Vision difficulties
- Respiratory problems
- Death
- Many other health problems
RxList also states that strong or fast contractions can “lead to crushing the baby’s skull or the baby experiencing oxygen deprivation and subsequent brain damage.”
When can doctors be held liable for Pitocin injuries in Kentucky?
At Crandall & Pera Law, our birth injury lawyers hold gynecologists, obstetricians, medical practices, hospitals, and other medical professionals accountable for the negligent administration of Pitocin if they fail to:
- Evaluate the risks compared to the benefits of using Pitocin
- Obtain an informed consent from the mother after reviewing the risks and benefits with the mother. It is generally considered medical malpractice not to obtain an informed consent in non-emergency situations.
- Properly supervise the administration of the drug. Medical providers should administer Pitocin in a hospital. Doctors should supervise the use to ensure proper monitoring of the mother and baby and to intervene immediately if necessary.
- Administer correct dosages. The minimum dosage to induce contractions should be used. Improperly increasing the dosage may cause fetal distress or harm to the mother.
- Review what other drugs the mother is taking. Doctors need to make sure that Pitocin doesn’t adversely react with any other medications a mother is taking.
- Intervene when necessary. Doctors need to intervene in a prompt and medically competent manner to avoid complications. Doctors should use an emergency C-section when necessary.
What is the value of a Pitocin birth or maternal injury claim in Kentucky?
Our Kentucky Pitocin administration lawyers work with our network of pregnancy and delivery doctors to identify injuries to the mother and child, the medical care they’ll need, and the way the injuries are affecting every part of their lives.
At Crandall & Pera Law, we demand compensation for the injuries to the mother and/or newborn, including:
- Medical expenses
- Physical pain and emotional suffering
- Loss of income
- Inability to enjoy life’s pleasures
- All other financial and personal damages
Our Kentucky wrongful death lawyers also seek wrongful death damages when the negligent administration of Pitocin causes death.
Do you have a Kentucky Pitocin administration lawyer near me?
Yes. Crandall & Pera Law is happy to answer your questions and explain your rights. We meet clients at our Lexington, Kentucky, office located at 201 E Main St., Suite 530. Our attorneys also speak with clients by phone and through online discussions. If maternal or birth injuries prevent you from coming to our office, we can make arrangements to see you at your home or a local healthcare facility, such as a hospital.
Contact our experienced Kentucky lawyers now
We understand how upset and angry you are. The birth of a child should be a time of joy – not a time to live in pain or watch your newborn suffer. At Crandall & Pera Law, we have the experience, working relationships with medical professionals, and record of successes in medical malpractice cases to hold negligent medical providers accountable. Call our Kentucky Pitocin administration lawyers or use our contact form to schedule a free consultation. We handle birth injury and maternal injury claims on a contingency fee basis.