Horrific stories of lasting birth trauma in Tasmania revealed

The organisation is one of several bodies that have provided information to a Tasmanian parliamentary committee which will hold hearings this year on the state's reproductive, maternal and paediatric health and perinatal mental health services.

The association has noted Tasmania had the second highest fertility rate of any Australian state.

It stated nationally, between 30 and 48 per cent of women claim to experience birth trauma, which means 2008 Tasmanian women experience trauma on average each year.

It said research suggested that approximately 60 per cent of first-time mothers experience physical trauma during vaginal delivery and up to 20 per cent of all women who deliver a baby vaginally will require surgery.

"In Tasmania in 2021, approximately 64 per cent of women gave birth vaginally, suggesting that approximately 770 Tasmanian women each year experience a birth injury for which they may need surgery," the association stated in a submission to the committee.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance have provided to the committee seven Tasmanian case studies, most of which are subject to legal proceedings against state hospitals and most of which involve mothers who have lasting mental health injuries due to their birth experiences.

In one case study, a mother was prepared for a caesarean section, but then the registrar decided to make a final attempt at an instrument vaginal delivery.

The delivery progressed, but the mother suffered a third-degree perineal tear and her baby suffered shoulder dystocia.

"Emma was assured her baby would recover, which was a false hope, and it was not until Emma attended a specialist children's hospital that the full extent of her child's problems was explained, namely a diagnosis of Erb-Duchenne paralysis," a submission from the lawyer's alliance read.

"Legal proceedings have been commenced and the hospital has admitted liability."

In another case study, there was a delay in investigating a mother who had presented at a hospital with abdominal pain which later resulted in the mother needing resuscitation and the delivery of a still born term baby.

In one more case study, a mother had been prepared for a caesarean section, but then attempts were made to have the baby delivered vaginally with the use of forceps and a vacuum cup.

The baby was born in a poor condition and survived just two weeks.

"The cause of death was hypoxic brain injury and injuries included the complete severing of nerves in the back of the baby's head due to the pushing and pulling on Baby L's head," the submission read.

"It appears clear that had a caesarean been performed at the appropriate time, Baby L would have survived."