Posted On: February 11, 2008, 5:21 pm CST

Posted By: Gasdoc

I see nuchal chords all the time during c sections. These are the type that this award is referring to that exists when the "umbilical chord impedes blood flow to the brain" as stated in the article. The chord simply gets wrapped once or twice around the fetal neck in utero due normal fetal movement. Yes it can affect fetal blood flow and be heralded by changes in fetal heart tracings both subtle and profound......However, often a double nuchal chord has very minimal or no presenting signs/symptoms. Patients do not have labels that identify the particular insult....Childbirth is a dangerous business for moms and babies: I wish the media outlets would not portray it as sterile, painless and always 100% safe and wonderful. Ask your grandmother how many women that she knew who died during childbirth or shortly thereafter....Or how many kids were born and after prolonged "difficult labors and deliveries" just weren't right or were "different". We have made quantum leaps in safety for both moms and babies but the inescapable truth remains that medicine and especially Obstetrics is an inexact science.

I feel for the family and the child but also for the Obstetricians who live in a sick lawsuit happy world enabled by Malpractice attorneys......The OB/GYNS who deliver babies are becoming more and more scarce these days.....This is why.....