| During labor, expecting mothers are generally attached | | | | well as intervals of decreasing variability the medication |
| to a fetal heart rate monitor. The tracings from the | | | | did nothing to further her labor. On more than one |
| monitor are interpreted for indications that the health of | | | | occasion, two nurses attempted to counteract the |
| the unborn baby is in jeapordy. If such signs appear | | | | decelerations yet neither nurse made any effort to |
| measures should be taken without delay to counteract | | | | stop or even decrease the drug being used. Around |
| the situation or to deliver the baby. Waiting can lead to | | | | seven hours after the first time the medication was |
| serious and lifelong harm to the infant. The failure of | | | | given, the fetal heart rate began steadily increasing, a |
| doctors or nurses to take timely and correct action | | | | sign that the unborn child was attempting to |
| may constitute a failure to satisfy the standard of | | | | compensate for a decrease in the supply of oxygen. |
| care. If this does bring about harm to the baby, these | | | | Nearly 4 hours after the signs of fetal distress |
| physicians and nurses may be liable for medical | | | | appeared this doctor tried a vacuum extraction. This |
| malpractice. | | | | doctor made nine attempts at vacuum extraction. As |
| Consider a documented lawsuit regarding what had | | | | the obstetrician tried the vacuum extraction, the fetal |
| been an uneventful pregnancy, the pregnant woman | | | | heart rate readings worsened to a level suggesting |
| was thirteen days past her due date. She went to the | | | | terminal bradycardia. At this point the obstetrician at |
| hospital for a scheduled delivery. Following her | | | | last decided to perform an emergency C-section. This |
| admission to the hospital, one of the doctors ruptured | | | | physician delivered the child a bit more than 1 hour |
| her membranes in an attempt to enhance her labor. | | | | following starting the use of vacuum extraction. |
| An entry in her chart recorded that there was "scant | | | | The woman's records documented the presence of |
| to no amniotic fluid" noted. While she was being | | | | thick meconium. The newborn was not breathing, had |
| followed the fetal heart rate monitor began to exhibit | | | | no muscle tone, no reflexes, and no heart rate. |
| non-reassuring tracings. Nevertheless, six hours after | | | | Resuscitation attempts were able to revive the baby. |
| that a drug was used so as to promote her | | | | The infant was taken to NICU unit. In the NICU unit the |
| contractions. Even though this drug is known to have | | | | baby began experiencing seizures. The baby was later |
| the potential of producing hyperstimulation, | | | | diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a result of an |
| progressively higher dosages of the medication were | | | | prolonged period of oxygen deprivation. The law firm |
| given throughout the following several hours. | | | | that handled the resulting lawsuit documented that a |
| During this time, the unborn child's heart rate showed | | | | $4. |
| marked late decelerations, an increasing baseline, as | | | | |