Babies cut during c-sections?

Specialties Ob/Gyn

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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?

Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.

The worst scars I have ever seen have come from forceps they are barbaric. I saw the Dr put his foot on the end of the OR table and pull and pull this poor baby-said to me later he had no choice he had committed and had to follow through. I thought the babies head was going to be pulled off. You should have seen the mess and as for the poor mothers perineum well she was cut 3 times. I doubt she will ever be normal down there and as for the little man I would love to know if he was ok 3 yrs on.

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If you don't like screaming babies, forget working with them at all. That's what babies do when stuck for blood tests, when hungry, cold, hot, wet, whatever. They scream. And thank God they do.

I have a relative whose child's facial nerves were damaged by forceps. I hope she sued and got a lot of money because when her child smiles, he looks really grotesque. Not just a tiny cut, which, granted, is bad enough, although a small price to pay to have a healthy, live baby. But this nerve damage is to his face and it caused his father to reject him, caused a divorce, although there were other factors in the divorce, but it was one more stressor that this couple just did not need.

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Specializes in NICU.

As others have said, Vacuum extractions are often pretty brutal. I've seen MASSIVE hematomas! One babe was transferred to us after complications from VE attempt x 8!!! He had a huge hematoma that calicfied (he was in multi system organ failure for a while due to hypovolemic shock so really the least of his problems) but it will take plastic surgery to correct. I believe he was neurologically intact but x8???? I'm not an L&D nurse but aren't they only allowed 3 attempts before c/s is called?

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Specializes in NICU.
If you don't like screaming babies, forget working with them at all. That's what babies do when stuck for blood tests, when hungry, cold, hot, wet, whatever. They scream. And thank God they do.

I have a relative whose child's facial nerves were damaged by forceps. I hope she sued and got a lot of money because when her child smiles, he looks really grotesque. Not just a tiny cut, which, granted, is bad enough, although a small price to pay to have a healthy, live baby. But this nerve damage is to his face and it caused his father to reject him, caused a divorce, although there were other factors in the divorce, but it was one more stressor that this couple just did not need.

Right, I don't think this baby was crying because it got a cut from the scalpel. It was crying because, if you're lucky, that's what a newborn baby does in the delivery room. They're supposed to cry and clear their lungs of fluid. I don't think it had anything to do with the cut, personally.

In the case where the baby's ear was torn and it needed emergency surgery, the parents did not win the case. Forceps come with risks, it was decided.

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I've seen a couple pre-natal 'haircuts' with a very slight 1-2cm laceration on a kid that was crashing and had to get out NOW!! In the scheme of things, I don't think the parents were too upset the MD gave the first haircut instead of the Barber.

I have seen far worse damage from Vacumes. We have Kiwi's, a one piece unit that MDs control the suction themselves. One doc atleast always documents keeping it in the green range:o . Burping these babies can be quite freaky as I watch their little scalps react to pats like jello does when it gets poked.

Rarely use forceps, have actually only seen it tried three times, worked twice and when it worked it was slicker than snail snot.

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Specializes in Emergency room, med/surg, UR/CSR.
Hey Pam,

Was it Dr. J ?

Actually, yes it was. Was that who got yours? BTW, she is soooooooo cute!!!!!

Pam

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if you don't like screaming babies, forget working with them at all. that's what babies do when stuck for blood tests, when hungry, cold, hot, wet, whatever. they scream. and thank god they do.

actually, it's not the screaming that bothers me. i have a 22 month old that screamed nonstop for the first 6 months of her life (and actually woke up screaming 3 times last night). turns out she has acid reflux so my ped put her on some meds which helped but didn't completely stop the crying. it was the cut part that bothered me. maybe it's because i had a c-s and the thought of her getting cut bothers me??? i’m not sure…. based on a lot of these posts, i’d rather have a c-s than a forceps delivery. i didn’t realize forceps were still fairly common. the hospital i delivered at made it sound like they pretty much stuck with the vacuum and seldom used forceps. i was on another board where a new mom posted a picture of herself and her new baby who was delivered with forceps. i felt so bad – he had a huge red mark on his cheek!!

anyway, i am really interested in working with new moms and l&d sounds like an amazing job to help bring new babies into this world. we have a lot of hospitals though with really high c-s rates so that’s why i’m questioning what aspect of ob/gyn nursing i would be best suited for (l&d, post partum,etc). :)

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Specializes in ICU,ER.
Actually, yes it was. Was that who got yours? BTW, she is soooooooo cute!!!!!

Pam

Yep....Dr. J.

Guess he is not so steady w/ the knife.:uhoh3:

And thanks...she is the JOY of my life. She will be walking any day now and then my work will really be cut out for me.

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Specializes in CNA; LPN Student.

My son had a cut on his head when he was born...The only thing I could think of that caused it was when they did the episiotomy.

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Specializes in NICU.

Seen one or two on the scalp, plastics sewed them up. Had one baby that was a stat forceps delivery and had a nasty tear to his upper earlobe.

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My son has a DENT in his head from the forceps, it is still there he is ten. I was 19 when i delivered him and remember pointing it out to the ped who said "oh it will most likely go away, and if it doesnt his hair will cover it" I was much more concerned with brain damage! He obviosly doesn't have any brain damage but his hair doesn't cover it either.

And whoever said that forceps are barbaric is right, 3rd degree epis and SEVEN lacerations- was not a good birth experience, would have healed faster from a c-section I'm sure.

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.
My son has a DENT in his head from the forceps, it is still there he is ten. I was 19 when i delivered him and remember pointing it out to the ped who said "oh it will most likely go away, and if it doesnt his hair will cover it" I was much more concerned with brain damage! He obviosly doesn't have any brain damage but his hair doesn't cover it either.

And whoever said that forceps are barbaric is right, 3rd degree epis and SEVEN lacerations- was not a good birth experience, would have healed faster from a c-section I'm sure.

It was me who said they are barbaric and I stand firm on that and nobody can persuade me otherwise. The damage to woman is horrendous. If you need to go to forceps then do a section, I am sure it is not pointed out to woman the damage that is caused to their lady parts and perinium. They do forceps by epidural so why not just do a section.

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