In any situation, you never want your baby to suffer a severe injury. However, there are situations during pregnancy and labor that can cause harm to your baby. Certain injuries are preventable, so it’s vital to recognize your rights as a family to hold negligence accountable and seek compensation to improve your baby’s quality of life moving forward.
Below, we will break down some of the common birth injuries you should know about, along with your rights to pursue compensation.
Some of the birth injuries to know include:
- Brachial plexus
- Shoulder dystocia
- Hypoxia
- Hemorrhage
- Nerve damage
- Brain injuries
Call our firm today at (210) 361-2997 if your baby suffers an injury because of medical negligence.
Brachial Plexus
The brachial plexus is the nerve system in your shoulder. It’s responsible for carrying signals between your spinal cord and hands and arms. During birth, your baby can suffer a brachial plexus injury because of stretching or compression, such as when the doctor pulls too hard during delivery.
In the most severe situations, the brachial plexus can lead to neck pain, numbness, and other symptoms. Even mild symptoms can create a burning sensation down your baby’s arm.
Shoulder Dystocia
Shoulder dystocia can occur when the baby’s shoulders are stuck behind the pelvis during delivery. While many cases of shoulder dystocia turn out fine, the baby and mother can potentially suffer long-term damage. Mothers in particular are at risk of hemorrhaging, infections, and tears. Babies are at risk of Erb’s palsy, Klumpke’s palsy, and cerebral palsy.
Hypoxia
Babies rely on a steady oxygen supply to ensure they are born healthy and without any problems. Unfortunately, hypoxia can occur during pregnancy, labor, or post-delivery. Causes of hypoxia during birth include uterine rupture, umbilical cord compression, placental abruption, and other conditions that doctors should monitor closely.
Hemorrhage
Hemorrhaging can occur in both the mother and baby, depending on the problems that may arise. The mother may experience hemorrhaging if shoulder dystocia occurs, and the doctor pulls on the baby too hard. For a baby, the most common types of hemorrhage are intracranial and subgaleal. Each of these can lead to severe problems as the baby gets older.
Nerve Damage
Nerve damage most often occurs during a brachial plexus injury, but there are other nerves vulnerable to damage during delivery. If the nerves around the spinal column stretch too far, it can lead to some severe complications that impact a baby’s entire life.
Depending on where the nerve damage occurs, it can also disable the motor function in specific body parts.
Brain Injuries
The most common reason for a brain injury during birth is hypoxia, or the lack of oxygen. Umbilical cord complications or maternal conditions that the mother has can also impact your baby’s brain and cause damage. Some of the other common brain injury causes during pregnancy include:
- Placental abruption
- Infections
- Blocked airways
- Anemia
Doctors must take the necessary precautions to monitor the mother and baby during birth. However, they often fail in this regard or during the delivery process, making mother and baby susceptible to severe injury. Whenever this happens, parents have the right to hold negligent parties accountable and seek compensation for the damages that a baby endures.
Suffering an injury is never easy. When the injury involves a baby after a negligent medical professional’s actions, you should be sure to work with a lawyer who can help you. Our San Antonio birth injury attorneys at Maloney Law Group, P.L.L.C. care about providing you with the highest level of representation possible. If a doctor commits negligence and causes your baby to suffer harm, we’ll be there for you.
Call our firm today at (210) 361-2997, and learn how we can help you get the results you deserve.
