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Birth Injuries Part 1: Common Types of Birth Injuries

Most of the time, having a baby is a joyous moment in a couple’s life and culminates with bringing home a healthy baby to love and cherish. But this doesn’t happen every time. While rare, some babies experience injuries when they are born, resulting in months, years, or even a lifetime of needless pain and suffering.

A birth injury occurs when the baby is hurt during labor or delivery. While some birth injuries are unavoidable, some are preventable and caused by medical negligence. Some maternal and fetal conditions that can increase the risk of a birth injury include:

• Birth weight more than 8 lbs. 13 oz.
• Premature birth
• Large head size
• Breech positioning (when the fetus is positioned to come out with their feet first)
• Maternal pelvis size or shape that is incompatible with the baby’s head
• Maternal diabetes
• Prolonged labor
• Maternal obesity

Some of the most common types of birth injuries due to medical team negligence include:

• Improper monitoring of the baby’s heart rate and oxygen levels during labor and delivery. Constant monitoring is essential to ensure that the baby is receiving enough oxygen throughout the birth process. If the monitoring shows a lack of oxygen, the medical team should perform an emergency C-section or other intervention. However, if the medical team does not properly monitor these levels and take immediate action, the baby can suffer from irreversible brain damage or cerebral palsy.

• Improper use of delivery tools, such as forceps or vacuum extractors. While using these tools are sometimes necessary, using too much force can lead to scalp lacerations, skull fractures, brain hemorrhage, or facial nerve paralysis.

• Failure to diagnose and treat maternal health conditions, such as diabetes or pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure during birth). This lack of proper prenatal care can lead to stroke or seizures, which can cause developmental delays, cognitive impairment, motor delays, physical disabilities, and cerebral palsy.

• Medication mistakes during labor and delivery. Administering the wrong medication or wrong dose can lead to fetal distress and medical complications for the mother.

• Inadequate prenatal care. If the doctor or midwife failed to thoroughly screen the mother during pregnancy, the delivery team may be unprepared for birth complications that could have been prevented or mitigated with proper screening.

• Not performing a C-section or performing one too late. If a C-section is needed and not performed in a timely manner, it can lead to shoulder dislocation, which may require surgery to fix; brachial plexus injury, which causes muscle weakness and requires surgery to correct; and fractures during delivery.

These are just a few of the many types of birth injuries that can occur due to medical negligence. ECanter Lawyers, based in Boca Raton, is dedicated to helping the victims of birth injuries and their families secure financial restitution. While nothing can truly compensate for the lifelong effects of a birth injury, we will aggressively fight for your rights to compensation to help minimize the financial burden of caring for your loved one.