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Risks of Forceps Delivery

A physician may use forceps, a steel tong-like instrument, to grasp the baby's head in the birth canal and ease the newborn out. The use of forceps often occurs if the baby shows signs of distress and there is no time for a cesarean, if a vacuum suction device cannot successfully extradite the fetus or if the baby appears stuck. A forceps delivery does carry risks to both the mother and infant. Only a doctor skilled in using the instrument should undertake the process.

  1. Injury to Mother

    • Forceps delivery holds greater risk if the physician lacks the knowledge, experience and expertise to use the instruments. The mother may suffer perineal or cervical injury; tearing of the vagina and rectum can also occur. Anal sphincter disruption and pelvic floor injuries can result from forceps. The region often suffers muscle damage, which can affect the rectum or bladder. This usually occurs if the doctor does not pull gently during a contraction.

    Injury to Baby

    • The infant may suffer facial marks, excessive or prolonged swelling around the head or minor skin injuries during a forceps delivery. Facial lacerations and tears may occur, as can bruising of the newborn's head. Serious risks include damage to the facial muscles of the baby, which may result in facial paralysis, scalp abscess and intracranial hemorrhage. Skull fracture may also occur. While using the forceps, if the doctor pulls too hard, the vertebrae of the newborn's neck may become misaligned. Approximately 17 percent of infants delivered by forceps show some form of facial bruising or marks, according to Medscape Reference. Some infants delivered via forceps may suffer long-term facial injuries and disabilities.

    Further Considerations

    • Women who have undergone a forceps delivery appear to suffer more perineal pain. Continual urinary incontinence often plagues women after a forceps delivery. Loss of liquid fecal control and an inability to control flatulence also persists in some women. Sexual dysfunction and an inability to resume normal sexual activity for an extended amount of time may occur. Later in life, women who have undergone a forceps delivery may experience pelvic organ prolapse. A woman undergoing a forceps delivery also often requires a blood transfusion due the extensive tearing and blood loss that occurs during delivery.

    Forceps Benefits

    • Despite the dangers that a forceps delivery may present, benefits do exist. Forceps allow a physician the ability to rapidly deliver a baby that shows distress. If the baby's heartbeat dips or appears abnormal, a quick delivery becomes key to successful resuscitation. If a woman has endured a prolonged second stage of labor and has failed to progress, the use of forceps can accelerate the delivery. A woman who is unable to successfully push during the second stage of labor because of a heath conditions, such as a heart problem or some form of neurological disorder, can also benefit from a forceps delivery.

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