The case of the woman raped by an anesthesiologist during a cesarean section, in Baixada Fluminense, shocked Brazil and brought to the fore the debate on the rights of women. pregnant women .
According to testimonies collected by the Civil Police, the doctor Giovanni Quintella Bezerra advised the victim’s husband to leave before committing the crime. Federal Law 11,108/2005 determines that the pregnant is entitled to a companion during the work of childbirth that is, from the beginning of contractions until after the baby is born.
In several states, the woman may also have the presence of a doula, a professional who helps with childbirth support, but does not replace the medical team.
Another right of the pregnant woman is to build the so-called birth plan, which indicates all the wishes for the moment of giving birth. In the document, the woman will say how she wants the procedure – natural or cesarean -, the position in which she would like to give birth, clothes she wants to wear, temperature of the room and if she wants music or silence, for example.
The president of the Brazilian Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics Associations (Febrasgo), Agnaldo Lopes, explains that the birth plan is an orientation of the World Health Organization (WHO).
“The pregnant woman writes, she can even do it with her own hand, what she expects. It is built by the pregnant woman with the follow-up of the multiprofessional team that performs prenatal care”, she detailed to the CNN .
Those who are going to have a cesarean can even choose whether they want to see the baby as soon as it is removed from the belly and if they want immediate contact with the child. You can also decide whether to have the surgery scheduled or just when labor begins.
The document also includes the first care with the baby, such as how to carry out tests and breastfeeding.
With all the indications, the plan must be taken to the hospital so that the medical team follows the choices, guaranteeing a humanized work and that leaves the woman safe.
“Patient safety is the most important issue for her to feel welcomed, well cared for”, says the president of Febrasgo.
Information is essential, highlights the Defender’s Office
A booklet prepared by the Public Defender’s Office of Rio de Janeiro, in partnership with the state’s Association of Doulas, draws attention to acts of violence against women during childbirth, such as impediment to the companion, disrespect for the birth plan and comments prejudiced about weight, color, age, marital status or number of children.
Matilde Alonso, coordinator of the Special Nucleus for the Defense of Women’s Rights at the RJ Defender’s Office, suggests that pregnant women seek information during pregnancy, whether in conversation circles, doulas, courses, precisely to find out about their rights.
“Every woman has the right to a humanized delivery and dignified treatment free from violence. This construction is very important because several international treaties, internal legislations provide for humanized childbirth. It is important that this is publicized and pregnant women take ownership of these rights,” she added.
The type of anesthesia the pregnant woman will receive and whether she will receive it (in the case of a normal birth) can also be decided. In the case of cesarean section, the woman can determine that she does not want to be sedated, that is, that she wants to follow the entire procedure awake.
In the rape that took place in São João de Meriti, the pregnant woman was unconscious because of the drugs applied by the imprisoned anesthesiologist. The procedure is uncommon in cases of cesarean section and can bring risks to the mother and the baby.
According to Ana Cristina Pinho, director-general of the National Cancer Institute (Inca) and former president of the Brazilian Society of Anesthesiology (SBA), in the vast majority of cesarean sections, an anesthesia is performed that takes effect from the waist down on the woman.
However, sedation after this procedure occurs only in specific cases and in a light way, only after umbilical cord ligation.
“Sedation is only authorized after the baby is born and the umbilical cord has been cut. They are two individuals literally linked. When I administer a sedative to the mother, with the umbilical cord present, this sedative crosses the placenta and reaches the baby and exposes him to the risk of being born with respiratory depression. He goes on to not breathe properly and can progress to an oxygen deficit that runs the risk of permanent sequelae,” she explained.
The rules apply to both public and private hospitals.
Public defender Matilde Alonso points out that anyone who is denied rights should seek redress.
“A woman who goes through a situation like this has every right to seek compensation, make a claim. Why was this woman sedated? Was it her choice? When was there consent? That’s the importance of the birth plan. This moment is hers, it doesn’t have to be the doctor’s, it’s hers”, she highlights.
see the primer guidance for pregnant women.
(With information from Yuri Corsini)
Source: CNN Brasil
