New York Personal Injury And Medical Malpractice Law Blog

In the last few years, there have been some disturbing revelations about the American medical system -- particularly where childbirth and maternal care are concerned. American women are dying at shocking rates in childbirth. While other developed nations have seen a sharp drop in maternal mortality, it's no longer uncommon for American mothers to die in childbirth or shortly after.

And, if you happen to be a black woman, your odds of dying during childbirth in an American hospital are about the same as if you were giving birth in Uzbekistan. The difference between the mortality rates for black women and women of other races -- not just whites -- is shocking. Around 12 white women out of 100,000 will die in childbirth. For women of other races (except black women), the figure is closer to 18 out of 100,000. However, 40 out of every 100,000 black mothers will die as a result of childbirth complications.

The birth of a baby is an exciting time for a New York family. It should be a time of peace and planning for the future, but it can quickly turn to a time of devastation and confusion if you learn that your baby suffered injuries during the birth process. Birth injuries can change your baby's future, and while you cannot reverse what happened, you can take steps to secure your child's long-term interests.

Birth injuries can range in type and severity. It's probably not immediately clear how your child's injury will affect his or her life, but you do not have to face this uncertainty alone. If the injury your baby suffered was the result of the reckless or negligent actions of a medical professional, you may have grounds for a civil claim.

It is well documented that men and women are different in some important and fundamental ways. As such, we need to understand those differences and account for them in order to ensure that men and women have equal access to critical services, like effective healthcare.

At the same time, it is important to recognize that, despite some surface-level differences, men and women share many similarities and needs. And by focusing too much on their differences, we may be at risk of denying women life-saving care.