While the act of giving birth on its own can be very stressful, a birth injury can be devastating. Birth injuries have the potential to affect both the parents and the child for the rest of the child’s life. Birth injuries are often due to circumstances that cannot be controlled, but in some cases they occur because of mistakes made by the medical specialists handling the birth.
What is a Birth Injury?
A birth injury is an injury that occurs before, during or directly following the delivery of an infant. These injuries can cause lasting damage as well as permanent disabilities. Some of the most well-known effects of birth injuries are Cerebral Palsy, Erb’s Palsy, brain swelling and bleeding, nerve damage, skull fractures and brain damage from a lack of oxygen.
Common Causes of Birth Injuries
There are a few things that can cause such an injury to occur. These range from uncontrollable circumstances to medical negligence or malpractice. High birth weight, premature birth and breech births are all factors that can contribute to a birth injury. Difficult or prolonged labor also increases the risk of injury. How these issues are handled by the medical specialist, along with other factors, determines whether he should be held accountable for the injury.
Injuries Caused by Medical Negligence and Medical Malpractice
As painful as it can be to deal with a birth injury, it can be even more traumatic if the injury could have been prevented. Doctors, nurses and midwives have all been trained to work through labor and delivery as well as any problems that may occur. If the doctor, or other medical specialist, does not follow approved procedures and practices, he should be held responsible for any injuries that occur from his actions.
In some cases, birth injuries are caused during the pregnancy. Certain prescription medications can cause various problems. If a doctor prescribes these medications during the pregnancy, they can result in a birth injury as well as other issues.
Many of these injuries occur during the actual labor and birth. Improper delivery procedures can prolong the birthing process and may also result in an injury. This is especially common in situations in which the infant is not positioned properly, such as during a breech birth. The improper use of tools, such as forceps or a birthing vacuum, can also result in injury.
Finally, the doctor, nurse or midwife should be able to recognize and provide the necessary interventions for any complications during labor and delivery. Not recognizing problems with the infant or mother can cause birth injuries. For example, attempting a vaginal delivery on a baby that is too large can cause a birth injury and other complications. Failing to deliver enough oxygen to the infant during birth is a relatively common cause of brain damage.
Recognizing a Birth Injury
Birth injuries vary from mild bruising to severe injuries and disabilities. Symptoms may not present immediately, so parents may not realize there is a problem for days, weeks or even months. Signs of an injury include: bruising, swelling, seizures that develop soon after delivery, a limp arm and movements that appear “floppy”. Other symptoms do not become noticeable until later. Both mental and physical developmental difficulties can sometimes be traced to a birth injury.
How to Proceed Once a Birth Injury is Recognized
If a birth injury is suspected, it is important to take legal action. These injuries can cause an enormous amount of emotional stress as well as being very costly financially. In cases where the injury is due to medical negligence or malpractice, there should be compensation for the affected family. This way the family can at least receive financial assistance to help with any treatments, care or other necessary expenses.
Birth Injury Accident News
Cerebral Palsy and Birth Accidental Injuries: Exposing Avoidable Mistakes
One of the challenges of understanding the cause of cerebral palsy throughout infants is that signs and symptoms may not be noticed right up until a child is effectively into the toddler phase. One indicator is often a delay in expected developmental stages including ability to sit, crawl and walk.
Cerebral palsy is a problem that involves brain function and nervous system responses which enable it to affect an troubled person’s thinking, listening to, sight and activity. One known result in is fetal hypoxia, which can end result when a baby doesn’t receive sufficient oxygen during the delivery process.
The nation’s Institutes of Wellbeing identifies other actual physical symptoms of the various forms of cerebral palsy, including:
- Small muscles and joints, which may bring about an abnormal running (walking on toes and fingers or with legs touching are common illustrations)
- Muscle some weakness, limited movement as well as paralysis
- Twisting, writhing or even jerking of extremities
* Loss of physical coordination
A comprehensive neurological exam is the cornerstone of a cerebral palsy diagnosis. While there is absolutely no cure for cerebral palsy, various treatments can help to make person more impartial throughout life. Which means having the resources to utilize speech, physical as well as occupational therapists and medical specialists in order that a child with cerebral palsy provides lifetime access to the right tools and flexible equipment.
Medical Malpractice Law firms Help Families Assess Liability for a Kid’s Condition
Cerebral palsy in newborns can result from problems made by obstetricians, maternal nurses and other health care professionals. The health care crew that attends the birth possesses numerous tools to provide dire warnings about specific problems that may develop through labor and during supply.
Assessing whether a great avoidable birth injury caused irreparable problems for a newborn involves complicated legal and health concerns. But medical data may include potential signs that a brain injuries occurred during work or delivery (the medical term will be “neonatal encephalopathy”), including low blood glucose levels, seizures, poor oxygenation of the blood, poor reflexes, poor color or perhaps subnormal consciousness.
A consultation by having a Florida medical malpractice attorney can help a family comprehend their legal possibilities and help decide if something went completely wrong that should not have occurred. In most cases, personal injury lawyers deal with cases on a a contingency basis, meaning that the majority of the costs of lawsuit are paid for with the law firm based on a percentage of any damages or perhaps settlements recovered.
The greatest wealth is health. -Virgil