A birth injury attorney should be consulted if a child was born with birth injuries resulting from medical negligence or medical malpractice. A birth injury not only causes serious pain and suffering to a child, but to the family as well. The child may require a lifetime of medical care, while the parents may require a lifetime of personal and financial sacrifices in order to care for the child. When a child with serious birth injuries matures into an adult, the sacrifices from everyone involved will continue. Therefore, if a doctor, nurse, or hospital was responsible for the birth injury, they should be responsible for covering the financial damages in order to help the family properly care for the victim. This is where the services of a top birth injury attorney, such as Dr. Bruce Fagel should be researched.
There are two main categories of birth injuries from medical negligence that may occur, injuries from lack of oxygen to the brain and injuries from trauma. Brain injuries that result from a lack of oxygen or blood flow to the brain may occur if a nurse or doctor isn't paying attention to the fetal monitor strip and the strip is showing signs that the baby does not have a proper heart beat for a dangerous period of time. A trauma injury may occur if the doctor improperly uses a vacuum device or forceps, causing permanent injuries to the infant, or if a cesarean section (C-section) was necessary but not taken.
One of the most serious birth injuries that a baby may sustain during labor or delivery is cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy is a group of neurological disorders that may involve the brain and nervous system functions, including movement, learning, and thinking. Cerebral palsy is caused by injuries to the brain. The conditions of cerebral palsy can range from mild to severe and the child may require a lifetime of medical care. Symptoms range from the child not being able to perform fine motor skills to the inability to walk. Severe cases may include involuntary body motions, seizures, and mental retardation. Early symptoms may include developmental delays and lack of muscle coordination. Although cerebral palsy symptoms may not be noticed right away in an infant, they should become apparent by the time the child is three years old.
Birth injuries from trauma will usually occur during a vaginal delivery from the improper use of forceps or a vacuum device used to extract the baby during a difficult delivery. These instruments can cause serious and permanent injuries to the baby's head and brain. A common birth injury from trauma involves the stretching of the brachial plexus nerves, which is known as Erbs palsy. If the baby's head is too big to fit through the birth canal, a C-section may be required. If the C-section can't be performed or it is too late to perform the C- section, then the doctor will need to use the vacuum or forceps to help in the delivery. In some cases involving brachial plexus injuries, the doctor may use too much force when twisting the baby's head through the birth canal, causing the brachial plexus nerves to damaged, causing paralysis to the hand or arm of the baby.
