Having a baby is one of life’s biggest miracles. There’s no greater joy in the world than watching your child come into the world, take their first breath and start their lives.
However, while this is an age of medical and technological advancement, birth injuries still take place. Regardless of if they are caused by medical malpractice or medical negligence, birth injuries can seriously affect your child now, and for the rest of their lives.
If your child suffers any type of birth injury, an occasion that should be happy is changed instantly. While not all birth injuries are permanent, and some heal quickly, others can have long-lasting consequences that affect your child and your family in a negative way.
If your child has suffered this type of injury, the best thing you can do is hire a birth injury attorney. They can help ensure you get the compensation deserved for the injuries and suffering that occurred.
Common Types of Birth Injuries
Some of the most common birth injuries that occur are listed here:
- Cerebral palsy: This is a permanent disability that can cause a wide array of issues, including deficiencies with motor skills, perception problems, incontinence, seizures, breathing issues and more.
- Kernicterus: This is a type of brain damage that may affect newborns who develop jaundice. Even though the majority of newborns have some level of jaundice, if a doctor doesn’t diagnose the issue and treat it properly, it can affect the baby’s neurological system and their brain.
- Shoulder dystocia: If a baby’s shoulder becomes trapped against the mother’s pelvic bone while being delivered, this issue can occur. In some situations, obstetrical malpractice may occur if your doctor didn’t perform the right tests and exams to figure out your baby’s risk of shoulder dystocia.
- Erb’s palsy: Caused by an injury to the brachial plexus nerve that is located close to the shoulder. In some more serious cases of this condition the injury may be permanent and include symptoms such as the inability to control muscles, a lack of arm movement, and upper body paralysis.
Other Causes of Birth Related Injuries
There are several birth injuries caused by a lack of oxygen to a baby’s brain, which is called hypoxia. It can happen if the child’s head is in the birth canal for a long period of time, or if the doctor doesn’t use the vacuum device properly during birth.
When any doctor, nurse or other medical professional does not perform their duty properly or if they deviate from the proper standards of care, or is negligent and an injury or death take place, then they can be held responsible and you can pursue compensation by filing a medical malpractice lawsuit with the help of a birth injury attorney.
Keep in mind, the above doesn’t represent an exhaustive list of all the birth injuries that may occur, and there are many complications that may arise in both the short and long term. If your baby has suffered any type of birth injury, hiring a birth injury attorney is the best course of action.
More information about birth injuries can be found by contacting the team of attorneys at Dennis A Lopez & Associates by calling (813) 358-3706.