2 c-section deaths at same hospital 15 days apart

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It looks as though the second mother's cesarean was planned. Here's the link (if that doesn't work, the story is in today's Philadelphia Inquirer):

http://tinyurl.com/3xzzc9

Katie Prown
Legislative Chair
Wisconsin Guild of Midwives

X-posted in VBAC forum

[CMcC]

[dara00]

where in the article does it talk about the reasons for their c-sections?

[[e-mail]]

They don't give a reason for either one, but the article does mention that when the second mother heard about her friend's death, she worried that it would happen to her, too. Maybe she was planning a vaginal birth, but that made me wonder if she was planning a cesarean and worried that it was the cause of her friend's death.

It's really just tragic beyond words . . .

Katie Prown
Legislative Chair
Wisconsin Guild of Midwives

[umsami]

That's just horrible. The only good thing I can see is that at least their two babies are O.K.

for the two Moms and the families they leave behind :

[DoomaYula]

That's just tragic. I'm so sad for their families, and the students. They must be shocked and heartbroken.

[jlpetitte]

Thats just awful . The poor widow husbands with brand new babies to care for without their mothers. I can't even imagine.

I think its very interesting what the high risk OB is quoted saying:

Robert Debbs, a high-risk obstetrician at Pennsylvania Hospital who also practices at Underwood and is familiar with the cases.

In Debbs' opinion, "the Underwood cases were both catastrophic complications that could have occurred anywhere in the country and were unpreventable," he wrote in an e-mail.

I do not agree that they were unpreventable. I would like to know the reasons behind the cesareans. Also, dying from shock from blood loss and anemia is preventable.

[ericswifey27]

sorry not a birth professional but....

It's funny how all the experts are sitting around scratching their heads wondering how this happened "it's like winning the lottery" as one said...when it is well known that maternal death is several times greater with csection than vaginal birth.

Interesting.

[Mavournin]

This is fairly close to me, and the television story I saw on it last night had someone from the hospital saying something along the lines of "maternal deaths are very rare today, you can have problems with infants, but hardly ever do moms die because of our medical advances..."

I feel so bad for these families. Both were first time moms, and one of them was only 28.

[Maridith222]

I am also bothered by how the article makes it sound as if this is more related to birth then surgery. How sad for everyone involved.

[beckyand3littlemonsters]

[dara00]

I have been trying to read up on this so I can use it for a defense as why I need to have a vbac, and I just don't see it saying anywhere that the c-sections were the cause of the deaths. how do we know that they weren't rushed to have a c-section because something went wrong prior to that and that was the only way to save the baby? (I don't know if that's the case, but I want more details!)

[BumbleBena]

Those poor widowed dads and brand new babies! This is absolutely horrifying.

Originally Posted by Mavournin

"maternal deaths are very rare today, you can have problems with infants, but hardly ever do moms die because of our medical advances..."

Isn't it ironic that they may very well could have died because of these "medical advances"? I wish I knew more about this...

[sunflowers]

I live a few miles from this hospital and knew of one of the women (the one who died from blood loss). It is so sad. I can't even imagine

What really bugs me about the statements from the hospital officials is that it appears they don't consider the deaths of the women as occurring at their hospital- the women technically died at the hospitals to which they were transferred. The spokesman I heard onthe news said there have never been any maternal deaths related to childbirth at Underwood.

[mendomidwife]

Very sad......
When I was doing hospital births, it seemed that these events would sometimes happen in clusters...we would have a few difficult births/outcomes in a row. It is always very sad for the families and in small communities everyone wants to point the finger (usually at the hospital or staff).
You also have to understand that these are highly litigious situations. The hopsital has to put the best "spin" on it, because most of these outcomes end up in litigation and everything everyone says will be dredged up.
Also...doctors are a close community - they stick together, for better or for worse and rarely would a spokesperson or hospital doctor come out and say....."yea, we blew it.....". I'm sure this hopsital/staff will be under much scrutiny after these tragedies.
These situation are very difficult for hospital staff....doctors, midwives, nurses. It's a no-win situation and is very stressful and we are all reminded that we are only human.....and spend hours wondering what we could have done differently.
I feel very badly for the families involved.

Carla