Babies cut during c-sections?

[rbytsdy]

I'd really love to go into L&D nursing. I have a friend who is a NICU nurse but floats to L&D when needed. She was telling me that she was a c-section the other day where the baby's head was cut (not serious but still a cut). She felt so bad because the baby was screaming. No one told the parents who were looking so dazed at their screaming baby after all the commotion of getting sent in for a c-section. She told me it's not that uncommon. I was wondering what everyone's else's experiences were. Maybe I'd be better off thinking about the post partum units.... for some reason, the thought of that really bothers me. Should she have been the one to tell the parents?

[Suebee6]

Not that uncommon??? HUH? I have worked L and D for 7 years and haven't seen it yet. Plenty of screaming babies thank goodness...we love 'em screaming, but never from a cut. Ok maybe in a vague memory..maybe I have heard of one incident but it is fuzzy...I will have to ask around tomorrow at work. But certainly not common!!! ( we deliver 3500 a year)

[enfermeraSG]

It certainly is not common, but it can happen. I can fortunately count on one hand how many times I think I remember seeing it and I work somewhere that delivers ~6000 per year and avgs 3-5 sections per 12hr shift. They are usually minor, and usually leave no scar at all. It is kinda heartbreaking but minor in the big picture of things like broken clavicles, hematomas, and multiple other birth injuries/illnesses/and multitudes of congenital birth defects. Rethink giving L&D a try, the good outweighs the bad!

[prmenrs, RN]

I agree w/enfermera--it is VERY uncommon, but it does occassionally happen. If it's severe enough, plastics can be called to stitch it up.

At least they didn't cut the placenta--that would be a REALLY BIG mess-on many levels.

[fergus51]

Happens here and there. I've seen it a couple of times over the years. I really don't think it's a big deal as long as it's minor and will heal nicely.

[P_RN, ADN, RN]

What about forceps injuries? Do they even use forceps any more? My 38 y/o daughter still has a faint but large cheek scar. It never "went away".

[fergus51]

Forceps are still used, though not as often as they were in the past apparently. I've seen some nasty bruises, but never a cut from forceps. In my experience, they were only used in emergencies and it was usually the mother insisting on them because she refused a c-section.

[hica19]

I agree w/enfermera--it is VERY uncommon, but it does occassionally happen. If it's severe enough, plastics can be called to stitch it up.

At least they didn't cut the placenta--that would be a REALLY BIG mess-on many levels.

I have actually seen a c-section for a previa where the placenta got cut. It was during one of my preceptorship clinical days. You were right, it was a mess. But after being born with apagars 3 and 2, the baby got progressively better each day. A few weeks later, baby turned into a regular grower and feeder.

[2curlygirls]

I've seen it once in the hundreds of C/S I've been to as the baby nurse. It was a butt cut (c/s for breech)

[prmenrs, RN]

The butt seems to catch that scapel the most.

I've seen some "owie" forceps marks, but the worst thing I've seen is from the vacuum thing, that was a LOT of years ago. Since then, they use a gizmo that the RN has to hand pump--limits the amount of suction to a safer level.

p.s. I've been in Neonatal nursing for ~ 25 yrs, so have had time to see a fair amount.

[MrsWampthang, BSN, RN]

My 21 year old son was cut one the scalp during a c-section. The doc made the initial incision to lift the uterus up to finish cutting and caught him on the scalp above his left ear. The scar still shows today since he wears his hair cut short. The OB doc was the one to sew him up at that time, and we figured the scar would never be seen.

Pam

[babyktchr, BSN, RN]

Its those direct OP babies that get nicked....at least in my experience. Maybe a handful in my time.