 True about water birth risks and complications
Added: 02/17/2006 |
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Water birth has been for a long time considered to be one of the gentlest ways to deliver the baby. At the same time, it has been argued to provide women with optimal comfort and pain relief. This method of labor has become the number one option for pregnant women all over the world. Nevertheless, there is a number of water birth risks and possible complications to be taken into account before choosing the water birth procedure.
Speaking about the most common water birth risks, it is important to pay attention to the fact that according to recent researches about 38% of babies born under the water are at risk of drowning. In November 2005 New Zealand doctors described four incidents in which new-born children nearly drowned. That is why they believe that better evidence and more proved are needed to be sure that water births are safe enough.
Furthermore, among other water birth risks are severe respiratory distress and other breathing problems. However, if such cases occur babies' condition can quickly be improved with appropriate treatment. According to water birth supporters' point of view, water birth does not cause any serious risks or complications. They can only occur if the water birth procedure is incorrectly performed or just poorly managed. To avoid the risk of water entering the baby's lungs it is very important that immersed baby be removed from the water very quickly.
As a matter of fact, the number of hospitals offering the service of water births is increasing year by year all over the world. However, some medical experts have not endorsed the technique for the lack of reliable data to prove its safety. To minimize possible water birth risks and chances of complications women should keep to the following guidelines: keep careful control over the water temperature and pool hygiene, avoid prolonged immersion, take into consideration using isotonic water and consider leaving the pool for the final labor stage. Finally, it is important to have an agreed protocol for dealing with unexpected risks and complications.
Thus, on the whole it is clear that in spite of the water birth popularity growth there has been done very little research to determine water birth risks. According to the major European studies there is a similar mortality rate between water and conventional births. Speaking about the water birth mother risks it is worthy admitting that there may be a theoretical risk of so-called water-embolism (meaning the possibility of water entering the woman's blood stream). Actually, a risk for water aspiration is seen in approximately 95% of water births. As for child water birth risks, it is important to take into account the fact that baby may experience stress in the birth canal, the umbilical cord may become twisted and kinked. So, as it has already been mentioned, a baby may gasp for air and inhale water into the lungs. Nevertheless, the majority of medical experts believe that such situations occur rarely because babies are not supposed to inhale the air until they are exposed to it.
Speaking about the water birth risks, I cannot but pay attention to the number of other situations possible to do harm to the child: if the mother is infected with herpes, tends to be inflexible, has excessive bleeding or some kind of infection, etc. Be aware that the baby is pre-term (which is born about two weeks prior to the scheduled date) water birth is often not recommended.
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