Perhaps one of the most heart-breaking situations a family can experience is a birth injury. A Birth injury can devastate a family and have a permanent impact on the lives of everyone involved.  The most serious birth injuries are those that result in permanent brain injuries, which often happen because of a lack of oxygen or blood flow to the brain of the infant during labor or delivery.  If these injuries could have been prevented, then the family may have a medical malpractice case.

Two main types of brain injuries can happen during the birth or delivery process; injuries resulting from lack of oxygen or blood flow to the brain and trauma injuries.  A lack of oxygen to the brain, known as hypoxia or asphyxia can cause life-long disability to the baby, depending on the area of the brain affected and degree and duration of oxygen deprivation.  A trauma injury can also cause life-long disabilities to the baby. Trauma injuries can happen as the result of a doctor’s improper use of a vacuum or forceps to help the baby’s head exit the birth canal during a difficult delivery.

A lack of sufficient oxygen, known as hypoxia, may occur from any number of situations, including if a doctor or nurse is not paying attention to the fetal heart rate monitor.  The fetal heart rate monitor keeps track of the heart rate of the baby and the strength and duration of the contractions in the uterus of the mother.  If the baby does not have a proper heart rate and other forms of treatment do not resolve the problem, an emergency cesarean section may be required. If the medical staff ignores the warning signs of the fetal heart rate monitor and the baby is deprived of an adequate supply of oxygen for too long, severe and permanent brain injuries can occur.  

Cerebral palsy is one of the most severe birth injuries that can happen to a baby during labor or delivery.  Cerebral palsy refers to a motor coordination problem due to an injury to the brain, which controls both voluntary movement and coordination, and can range from mild to severe.  Because cerebral palsy can have life-long consequences for both the baby and the family, if it is discovered that your child has cerebral palsy, you should have the circumstances involving the labor and delivery carefully investigated by a cerebral palsy attorney to determine if the hypoxia or asphyxia could have been prevented.  The medical records and the fetal monitor strip are two areas that often show if there were significant problems during labor that should have led to an earlier delivery or treatment that could have prevented the outcome of cerebral palsy. 

Medical malpractice can cause other types of birth injuries, such as Erb’s palsy and developmental delays.  High risk pregnancies, including pregnancy-induced hypertension that are not properly monitored and treated can lead to birth injuries as well.  Erb’s Palsy leads to paralysis, including loss of muscle control or feeling in the hands and arms, facial paralysis, and an inability for the baby to sit up or crawl.  Developmental delays can be observed if your child is having trouble learning to crawl, walk, or talk.  High blood pressure if not properly monitored, may result in the mother experiencing seizures, convulsions, coma, and catastrophic injuries to the baby as well.

If you believe your child suffered a serious birth injury due to medical malpractice, you should contact the best medical malpractice attorney possible who specializes in birth injuries, such as Dr. Bruce Fagel, for a free consultation. The toll free number is (800) 541-9376.  Dr. Fagel is both a leading medical malpractice lawyer and a licensed medical doctor.  So he understands exactly how the birth process should occur and where medical malpractice occurred in a birth injury.

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