Three Common Types of Birth Injuries
Depending on the circumstances, pregnancy and childbirth can be hazardous for both a mother and her unborn child. Women require frequent appointments during pregnancy to monitor the healthy development of the fetus and ensure medical stability throughout pregnancy.
Most women give birth at hospitals or specialized birth centers where doctors and other trained medical specialists oversee the process and intervene when necessary. Unfortunately, sometimes those professionals providing support during labor and delivery make mistakes that end up having dire consequences for the mother and/or child.
Below are three top birth injuries that are seen in the U.S. today:
1. Cerebral palsy
There are countless pregnancy factors that might lead to cerebral palsy. This lifelong neurological condition can affect everything from a child’s verbal communication to their mobility. Sometimes, cerebral palsy is the result of health issues during pregnancy or trauma like a car crash. Other times, cerebral palsy is a result of (preventable) trauma during the birthing process, such as oxygen deprivation. Improper fetal monitoring and failure to intervene during fetal distress could lead to cerebral palsy in an otherwise healthy infant.
2. Erb’s palsy
Babies who suffer trauma or physical injury during delivery may develop Erb’s palsy. This condition causes weakness in the arms. Babies may not have the ability to move their arms at all or, they keep them in strange positions or fail to react to touches on or pain in their arms because of nerve damage. Erb’s palsy has a strong association with assisted delivery but often responds well to medical intervention during infancy.
2. Physical trauma
Much like Erb’s palsy, some of the more upsetting birth injuries that babies suffer are the result of medical interventions gone wrong. The use of forceps or vacuum extraction during the birthing process could lead to injuries ranging from neonatal intracranial hemorrhage to ruptured or injured eyes, for example.
Families often don’t know what to do when what they thought would be a healthy delivery results in injury to their newborn due to a medial mistake.
Fortunately, families have options. Seeking guidance from a skilled medical malpractice attorney is a good first step.