Birth injuries can devastate a family and have a permanent impact on the lives of everyone involved. The most serious birth injuries are those that result in permanent brain injuries, which often occur from a lack of oxygen or sufficient blood flow to the brain during labor or delivery. If these injuries are preventable injuries, medical malpractice may be the cause.
The two main types of brain injuries that may happen during the birth or delivery process are injuries resulting from trauma and injuries resulting from lack of oxygen to the brain. A trauma injury can be the result of a doctor improperly using forceps or vacuum in an assisted delivery. A lack of sufficient oxygen, known as hypoxia, may occur from any number of situations, including if a doctor or nurse is not paying proper attention to the fetal monitoring strip, which may indicate the baby does not have a proper heart beat for a long period of time, therefore possibly requiring an immediate C-section.
Cerebral palsy is one of the most serious birth injuries that a baby may sustain during the labor and delivery process. Cerebral palsy is caused by an injury to the brain and conditions may be mild to severe. Cerebral palsy may require a lifetime of medical care. Therefore, in a
medical malpractice case, many areas must be evaluated by an
experienced trial lawyer, 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.
Other birth injuries that may result from medical malpractice, include Erb’s Palsy, sometimes referred to as Brachial Plexus Paralysis, or Klumke’s Palsy,
mental retardation, and
pregnancy-induced hypertension. Erb’s Palsy leads to paralysis, including loss of muscle control or feeling in the hands and arms, facial paralysis, and an inability for the baby to sit up or crawl. Mental retardation refers to individuals with below-normal brain function. High blood pressure if not properly monitored, may result in the mother experiencing seizures, convulsions, coma, and catastrophic injuries to the baby as well.