Although most pregnancies result in successful outcomes, the time around labor and delivery poses risks to both mother and the fetus or infant. Obstetrical adverse events that occur during hospitalizations for labor and delivery can result in significant harm.
Obstetrical adverse events that may be suffered by the mother range from perineal tears and hemorrhaging to maternal death. For the infant, examples of adverse events include injuries to the skeleton or spinal cord, and some neonatal intensive care unit admissions. Obstetrical adverse events of some sort currently occur in approximately 9% of all U.S. deliveries.
Not all obstetrical adverse events are preventable, but many are. Some type of communication failure is associated with the majority of these adverse events.
Goal: The Partnership for Patients estimates that 30% of obstetrical adverse events are preventable. The goal set for hospitals is to cut the number of these preventable events in half by 2013. Over three years this would prevent nearly 100,000 obstetrical adverse events.
