‘Cardiotocography traces form a central piece of documentary evidence in litigation related to adverse perinatal outcomes, which are alleged to have arisen due to events that took place during the labour and/or delivery of the baby. Cardiotocography is therefore an important element to get to grips with for any practitioner when working on birth injury cases. Errors in electronic fetal heart rate monitoring or cardiotocography are a common theme in such cases with injuries to the baby including cerebral palsy, stillbirth and scarring and injuries to the mother including damage to the mother’s perineum or vagina resulting in disability which limits sexual intercourse, lack of control of bladder/bowel function and of course psychological or psychiatric sequelae. A recent review by NHS Resolution in September 2017 found that 32 out of the 50 cerebral palsy cases looked at, involved errors of cardiotocography interpretation. This article is a beginner’s guide to cardiotocography for application in medical negligence cases.’
No. 5 Chambers, 31st July 2018
Source: www.no5.com
