What To Do If Your Child Suffers From a Traumatic Birth Injury?

Pregnancy and the birthing process are supposed to be a special experience with an outcome of a healthy baby in your arms. However, this is not always the case. Not all pregnancies are healthy and not all labor and deliveries go as smoothly as planned by both the mother and her team of physicians.

In the United States, approximately of every 1,000 infants born, 6 to 8 of them are born with a birth injury. This means that about 1 in every 9,714 people in the U.S. are born with a birth injury. This roughly equates to 28,000 children born every year with a birth injury, which is equivalent to 2,333 per month, 538 per week, 76 per day, and 3 per hour.

What Is a Traumatic Birth Injury?

A traumatic birth injury is one in which a baby suffers serious injury, generally to the head, as a result of a delayed or difficult labor and delivery. In most cases, a healthcare professional can prevent traumatic injury by performing diagnostic tests throughout an expectant mother’s pregnancy. The results of these tests can be used to identify any potential obstetrical complications that can result in significant problems during labor and delivery. If a medical professional identifies any potential complication, risk factors, or health problems, he or she can provide appropriate treatment or plan a C-section operation instead of going forth with a planned vaginal birth process.

However, in certain situations, the expectant mother’s medical team may fail to identify the problem or engage in some other medical negligence during the labor and delivery that can result in a traumatic birth injury to the unborn fetus or child during the birth.

Most Common Birth Injuries Due to Medical Malpractice

While not all birth injuries result from medical malpractice and negligence, some do. Below is a list of the most common types of birth injuries resulting from medical negligence:

• Brachial palsy injuries – occurs when the bundle of nerves responsible for moving the arms and hands is injured.
• Facial paralysis – results when too much pressure is placed on the infant’s face during delivery, causing damage to the nerves; usually caused when doctors use forceps or a vacuum extraction to pull a baby out.
• Brain injuries – caused by oxygen deprivation, leading to a host of problems.
• Fractures – most common fracture is to the newborn’s clavicle during delivery; generally, occurs when a delivering doctor pulls on the infant too hard while in the breech position.
• Cephalohematoma – an injury marked by bleeding below the cranium; usually caused by the improper use of birth-assisting tools.
• Caput succedaneum – an injury marked by intense swelling of the soft tissues in an infant’s scalp; commonly caused by the improper use of a vacuum extraction tool.

Call an Experienced New York Birth Injury Attorney

If your loved one suffered a traumatic birth injury that you believe was caused as a result of the medical malpractice of your medical team, we encourage you to immediately reach out for legal help. The traumatic birth injury attorneys at Gersowitz Libo & Korek, P.C. have the skills, knowledge, and experience necessary to successfully handle highly complex cases related to traumatic birth injuries.

To schedule a complimentary consultation with one of our New York birth injury attorneys, please call 1-800-529-9997.