New Risk Prediction Tool Could Help Reduce Severe Birth Injuries
A new research study from the University of Gothenburg offers hope for reducing one of the most serious types of childbirth injuries—obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASI). These injuries, which affect the muscles responsible for bowel control, can result in long-term physical and emotional consequences for mothers who experience them during vaginal delivery.
A study published in the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology found that about 5% of first-time mothers in Sweden experience OASI during childbirth. To help prevent this, researchers analyzed nearly 600,000 births from 45 maternity units in Sweden between 2009 and 2017. Their goal was to develop a tool that could predict the risk of OASI before labor even begins.
They looked at common risk factors across three types of deliveries: first-time vaginal births, vaginal births after a C-section, and second-time vaginal births. Risk factors included the baby’s birth weight, the mother’s age and height, any previous OASI, and the use of tools like vacuum extractors during delivery.
The findings showed that a high birth weight was the strongest predictor of OASI in all birth scenarios. If someone had experienced OASI before, their risk of having it again was much higher. Using a vacuum extractor also increased the risk of serious vaginal tearing.
The new predictive model was especially accurate for women giving birth vaginally for the second time. Overall, the model performed as well as other widely accepted tools used in medicine, such as those for predicting breast cancer or heart disease.
While this model is currently in use in Sweden, its potential for adoption worldwide could play a critical role in injury prevention—and in highlighting when care providers may have failed to act on known risk factors.
Birth injuries like OASI can significantly impact a person’s quality of life, and while not all injuries are preventable, those that occur due to failure to anticipate or mitigate known risks may be grounds for legal action. Tom Duffy has recovered birth injury settlements in excess of $20,000,000. If you would like to speak with a top Philadelphia birth injury attorney in Philadelphia, contact us to set a time to speak about your legal options.