What Causes Birth Injuries?

Some birth injuries may be temporary but some can be permanent and the full effects may not immediately be apparent.

Becoming a parent is both joyous and nerve-racking. Parents are often concerned about whether they will have a  healthy child and sometimes, through no fault of their own, birth injuries occur. Birth injuries are defined as trauma to the baby that occurs during the birth process. In more than four million births each year, there are birth injuries that can range from bruising to fatalities. Not every birth injury means that there was medical negligence during the birthing process, but in some instances this is the case.

Causes of birth injuries

Birth injuries can be caused by any number of complications. Some of these include the mother’s health, a baby that is in the breech position, placental abruption, and medical negligence.

A child’s health is connected to the health of the mother during pregnancy. If the mother experiences complications during pregnancy, this can affect the health of the baby. In some cases serious issues can be mitigated by medical intervention, but there are cases where a complication arises out of an emergency situation.

A breech baby, or a baby that is positioned bottom or feet first, rather than head first, can make a birthing situation more emergent and can result in a more complicated delivery that can in some instances be injurious to the baby. If a doctor realizes that a baby is in a breech position prior to the delivery, the doctor can try to turn the baby before the mother goes into labor. Doctors prefer to intervene like this before delivery because breech deliveries can be dangerous for both the mother and the baby.

A placental abruption is an emergency medical situation where the placenta pulls away from the uterine wall. The placenta needs to be in place in order for the baby to develop in a healthy way. Placental abruption can result in the baby becoming deprived of oxygen, which can then cause brain damage or even death. With placental abruption the mother can also experience heavy bleeding, which can obviously be very detrimental to her own health.
Medical negligence during the birth process or in caring for the baby following the birth can cause injuries to the child that can be serious and sometimes irreparable. If a doctor fails to notice fetal distress, makes poor decisions during the birth, or is negligent in anyway, this can cause injuries like facial swelling or in more serious conditions like Erb’s Palsy, or Cerebral Palsy.

Some birth injuries may be temporary but some can be permanent and the full effects may not immediately be apparent. Doctors may have to watch for developmental effects of birth injuries in the years to come.

St. Louis Birth Injury Lawyer

When medical negligence causes a birth injury the issue is one of medical malpractice. If your child was injured during birth and you believe the injuries were caused by negligence by a doctor or other medical personnel, you should contact a St. Louis birth injury lawyer.

At the Zevan and Davidson Law Firm we will investigate to determine whether you and your child were the victims of medical malpractice, and can help you to pursue compensatory damages that can aid in the care costs. Contact our trusted birth injury lawyers today to schedule a free and private consultation.

Call the Zevan and Davidson Law Firm at (314) 588-7200.

photo credit: owlhere