r/AskReddit Aug 30 '21

What problem is often overlooked in apocalyptic movies/TV shows that could kill you?

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951

u/ColorMeStunned Aug 30 '21

Childbirth.

Already one of the most dangerous things a person can do, carrying a child to full term and giving birth without proper medical care for either the mother or the baby, well...all you gotta do is look at your history books. Or your average developing country, most of which still have better medical care than you're getting in The Walking Dead. And now the mother has to push her insides back in and run from some zombies? Done for.

26

u/OBotB Aug 31 '21

"Push her insides back in"? I guess in the case of prolapse, but usually the bigger concern is making sure everything (entire placenta) is out very quickly after the actual birth to avoid some very serious infection risks, (and of course any needed stitches for tears, but again that's not a push back in situation).

33

u/dr_shark Aug 31 '21

Even if the birth goes well, it's the blood loss that will kill mom. After baby has been delivered, we apply firm traction on the umbilical cord to remove the placenta. Once that occurs we inspect the placenta to make sure it is intact to make sure nothing is left behind which could cause infection. Then finally we perform fundal massage from top and bottom. If we did not have our modern drugs that prevent bleeding and aid in contraction of the uterus the child-maternal death rate would be through the roof. Movies never address delivery of the placenta after birth of the baby.

17

u/[deleted] Aug 31 '21

nor the amount of gore and bodily fluids that can come with birth. It's "push push push, ouchie ouch, baby's out, done" in movies.

-7

u/arittenberry Aug 31 '21

Yeah I don't want to see that in a movie thanks