Common birth injuries resulting in medical malpractice

The first few minutes of life can be very critical. Those delicate moments when a baby is brought into the world can turn tragic with life-long effects during one act of negligence.

A birth injury resulting in medical malpractice claim can occur when the medical staff or doctor does not stay within the standard medical care you may expect to receive, or a medical institution says it will provide.

Negligence that causes an injury may not have occurred on the day of the birth. There are times that an incident during pregnancy results in an injury that may not be known until the birth. Regardless if an injury occurred during pregnancy or at birth, many times these types of injuries could have been prevented with astute medical care. Here are the most common birth injuries due to medical negligence.

Face paralysis – During the delivery, the face of the child may become pressed on too hard which can cause nerve damage. One of the most common ways this can happen is with the use of a forceps or a with a vacuum instrument that is used to help bring the baby out. This can affect the opening or closing of the eyes or basic facial movements of the infant.

Brachial Palsy – The most common Brachial palsy injuries are Erb’s and Klumpke’s palsy. These types of injuries occur when there is damage to the nerves that are used to move arms, hands and fingers. This injury will typically happen if the baby is lodged against the pelvic bone and the doctor tries to pull the baby out. The resulting contortion the baby is put through can damage the brachial plexus which will require therapy or surgery to fix.

Brain/Head Injury – If a baby lacks oxygen for a certain amount of time during the delivery, the deprivation can result in many types of problems. The most serious being some type of brain injury. A lack of oxygen can cause cerebral palsy and even chronic seizures. Other consequences can be mental disabilities or physical difficulties that can last the life of the child.

Fracture – Another consequence of a doctor trying to force a baby out is fracturing a bone. The most common bone to fracture is the clavicle which can receive a lot of pressure from a doctor if the baby is in a breech position. It can also happen when the doctor forcefully pulls the baby during a difficult and long delivery.

The birth of a child is an emotional time that should be enjoyed and celebrated. If the negligence of a doctor or another member of a medical staff causes injury to your newborn, you are entitled to take action.