July 7, 2019
IATROGENIC : "induced inadvertently by a physician, surgeon, medical treatment, or diagnostic procedure. "When a mother tells me about her previous complication during labor/delivery, I like to keep in mind that sometimes complications naturally arise. It's an undeniable fact. More often than not though, these complications are induced by the provider; also an undeniable fact.It's no surprise that after a woman is given Pitocin, her baby's heart rate tanks. This often ends in an emergency cesarean. Pitocin use often results in a c-section. A mother's body starts failing to respond to labor after having fentanyl injected into her spine. No surprise! To numb the body and expect all to be well is not logical thinking.
A woman's blood pressure is off the charts after being given Pitocin. Now her and baby's life are at risk due to an unnecessary induction. No surprise here, either.A woman's cervix starts to swell and backtracks in regards to dilation after multiple unnecessary cervical exams. No surprise there. Vaginal checks can irritate the cervix and interfere with labor.
I could go on. All of these complications occur after hands interject into a natural bodily process. Then you are left with a complication that needs addressed. It quickly can turn into an emergency, all due to unnecessary interventions.The worst part is that after it's all said and done, providers claim they saved the day. That they saved the woman and baby's life.Yet, in truth, they caused the unnecessary emergency.Most complications that happen during labor in a facility are iatrogenic. Caused by the provider who many trust to keep them safe. We have one of the worst infant mortality rates in all of the developed countries, according to the CDC. We are failing mothers and infants. It's time for people to wake up, research, and realize what is going on here.To find more information about iatrogenic care in the delivery room, see the latest research here: