What are the Major Disabilities Resulting from Pregnancy and Childbirth Complications?
For every one woman who dies due to pregnancy or childbirth, another 30 experience a short or long term disability. The primary complications leading to disabilities include hemorrhage, infection, obstructed labor, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and unsafe abortion. The consequences of these complications include anemia, infertility, or in rare cases, hormonal damage from severe bleeding. Women surviving infection during labor face pelvic inflammatory disease, chronic pelvic pain, reproductive organ damage, and infertility. Obstructed or prolonged labor could lead to incontinence, fistula, genital prolapse, uterine rupture, or nerve damage. Pregnancy-induced hypertension can be a precursor to chronic hypertension, kidney failure, or nervous system problems. Finally, disabilities related to unsafe abortion include pelvic inflammatory disease, chronic pelvic pain, reproductive organ damage, reproductive tract infection, or infertility. Lori Ashford. 2002. Hidden Suffering: Disabilities
