Birth injuries may be common, but that doesn’t mean they are inevitable. Birth injuries caused by the negligence of medical professionals occur with disturbing frequency. In the world of law, we refer to this as medical malpractice. As medical malpractice experts ourselves, we are adept at determining whether your child’s birth injury was inevitable or the result of a doctor’s error. Here are the most common avoidable birth injuries that we encounter.
Birth injuries may be common, but this doesn’t mean they’re inevitable. Here are a few birth injuries that can often be avoided.
Erb’s Palsy
Erb’s palsy is an injury to the brachial plexus, which controls motor function in the arm and shoulders. ‘Palsy’ is just another way to say ‘paralysis.’ Babies born with Erb’s palsy will experience partial or complete paralysis in the arm.
Like virtually all other birth injuries, Erb’s palsy is especially common during difficult and strenuous births. If the baby becomes stuck in the birth canal and a doctor intervenes, they may yank too hard with forceps, causing the injury.
Facial Paralysis
Facial paralysis is exactly what it sounds like. If your child has facial paralysis, they will exhibit a noticeable reduction in the movement of their face. This is easily among the most common birth injuries, and in most instances, symptoms are mild and it goes away on its own.
But if your child’s facial paralysis is more severe and long-lasting, you might be wondering if it was avoidable or not. Just as with Erb’s palsy, negligent medical professionals can cause facial paralysis by improper use of forceps.
Cerebral Palsy
Most people have some familiarity with cerebral palsy. For many years, medical malpractice was thought to be the leading cause of this condition. However, cerebral palsy is not always a birth injury, as it can be caused by various congenital factors. Still, medical malpractice undoubtedly causes thousands of cerebral palsy cases annually.
Like both of our previous two examples, a negligent medical professional may use delivery tools improperly. They may also be negligent for other reasons, such as failing to notice a maternal infection or issues with the umbilical cord.
How Could It Have Been Avoided?
All of the above examples are avoidable birth injuries that may have been prevented with proper medical care. Medical professionals should monitor for signs of fetal distress prior to and during delivery to take preventative measures. If they neglect to do so then they are, by definition, negligent.
You may have noticed that all three of our examples above have the potential to be caused by improper use of forceps or other tools to assist in delivery. In all of these cases, too, a cesarean section would have rendered such actions unnecessary.
It may be difficult to swallow that your child’s birth injury could have been prevented. Far too many avoidable birth injuries occur every year. The experienced medical malpractice professionals at Snyder Law Group will not stand for it, either.
Contact The Snyder Law Group Today
The Snyder Law Group, LLC, proudly represents clients throughout Maryland and Washington, D.C. Our experienced Baltimore attorneys understand the frustration that comes with an insurance company, medical professional, or other party that refuses to accept liability for negligent or reckless behavior. You can take heart in knowing there are talented and experienced lawyers ready to work for you. We are experienced in handling personal injury claims of medical malpractice or injury resulting from serious car and truck accidents, and have secured hundreds of millions in verdicts settlements. Please visit our website, www.410thefirm.com, for more information and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
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