While we always hope that a baby is safely delivered without any complications, there is always a chance that something will go wrong during the birth. In fact, on average, 29 out of 1,000 babies in the United States suffer birth trauma, often because of poor use of instruments or improper handling of a newborn by doctors or other medical staff. These traumatic birth deliveries can result in serious injuries or death.
Birth injuries can cause a variety of lifelong problems and disabilities. These injuries have many different causes. While sometimes they are unavoidable, other times they are caused by medical malpractice during the pregnancy, labor or delivery. In many cases, neonatal injuries affect a baby’s head, neck and shoulders, although they can cause damage to any other part of the body. Some of the most common types of birth injuries include skull fractures, brain damages, cerebral palsy, and facial paralysis.
Caput succedaneum, a traumatic birth injury that’s marked by the scalp swelling during or shortly after birth, is caused by pressure from the mother’s uterus or vaginal wall during delivery. This may occur because of misuse of vacuum extraction devices during a protracted delivery.
Broken bones can occur with improper use of birth-assisting tools. A doctor or medical professional may tug too forcefully or could even drop a newborn.
Another serious birth injury is when a baby is deprived of oxygen. Oxygen deprivation can occur if a baby doesn’t start breathing independently after birth. If the baby does not breathe for three minutes or longer, they are at a high risk for serious brain damage, which can result in seizures, coma, and even death.
Cerebral Palsy is one of the most common disabilities that is caused by lack of oxygen. Medical professionals could be held liable for cerebral palsy if they fail to diagnose or treat jaundice, do not conduct a C-section when necessary, and fail to notice the fetus was not receiving enough oxygen.
Brain hemorrhages, or brain bleeds, can damage the nerves, spine and bones. These issues are sometimes caused by negligent medical professionals who fail to recognize an infection or were careless in their use of mechanical forces to aid a delivery.
If you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic birth delivery, and your child sustained a birth injury due to a medical professional’s negligence, contact the experienced birth injury attorneys at Pope and Howard, P.C. Let our experienced legal help you get just compensation. Contact us for a free consultation by filling out our contact form or by phone 404-885-9999.
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