A birth injury is one of the most devastating events that can happen to any family. There are several types of birth injuries, the most serious of which are injuries to the brain of the baby as a result of lack of oxygen or sufficient blood flow to the brain during the labor and delivery process. Often times these are preventable injuries, which result, because of the delay in recognizing that there is stress in the fetus, and moving promptly to a caesarean section, also known as a C-section.
There are other types of injuries that can occur during labor and delivery as a result of trauma or infection, or sometimes the combination thereof, which can result in a more devastating injury. All these things have to be evaluated by an experienced trial attorney during the course of any medical malpractice case involving a birth injury, in order to successfully prove that the doctors, nurses, or hospitals are responsible for the injury to the baby. A child attorney, specializing in birth injuries, is a critical line of defense for the victims of medical malpractice involving a birth injury.
Hospitals use a fetal heart rate monitor, to monitor the condition of the baby during labor and delivery. Many birth injuries occur because the doctors or nurses fail to correctly read the information from the monitor, notify the doctors of a problem, or take action at the proper time.
Birth injuries resulting from medical malpractice may include:
Cerebral Palsy, which results from a lack of oxygen to the brain of the baby during labor and/or after delivery.
Mental Retardation, which is the legal and medical term referring to individuals with below-normal brain function.
Erb's Palsy, also referred to as Klumke's palsy and Brachial Plexus Paralysis, which leads to paralysis, loss of muscle control or feeling in hands and arms, facial paralysis, an inability to sit up, crawl, or use the arms or hands.
High blood pressure, pregnancy-induced hypertension, or eclampsia, not properly monitored, can cause tragic outcomes to both the woman and child.
