Can An OB-GYN Be Blamed For The Cause Of A Birth Injury?

OB-GYNs go through eight years of schooling and four years of residency to become labor and delivery doctors. However, even though OB-GYNs endure many years of education, it does not prevent them from ever making mistakes. A severe medical failure can leave new parents stressing over how their children may never be capable of ever caring for themselves. This may mean a lifetime of medical costs covering multiple surgeries, medication, physical therapy, and ongoing treatment.

What Causes Birth Injuries?

Some birth injuries are natural, but there are also cases when it occurs due to a medical mistake. Unfortunately, more birth injury cases occur due to an error made by a doctor. A medical provider can cause harm when they fail to follow accepted standards of care. In addition, medical providers that fail to properly manage a complicated pregnancy can lead to birth injuries.

Some examples of medical negligence and malpractice at birth can include:

• Abnormal maternal bleeding
• Prolonged labor
• Maternal infections
• Detached placenta
• Inadequate pelvis size for vaginal delivery
• Compressed or prolapsed umbilical cord
• Birth traumas
• Drug-related injuries
• Incorrectly uses a medical instrument
• Failure to provide baby with enough oxygen
• Fail to notice problems on a fetal heart monitor
• Failure to correctly interpret ultrasound
• Not performing a c-section when the situation called for it
• Not spotting any signs of any infection that could lead to complications

According to the Birth Injury Guide, over 28,000 babies are born with birth injuries every year. In addition, there is a 30% increase in the injury rate for mothers in instrument-assistant vaginal births than in mothers in non-instrumented-assisted vaginal births.

Types Of Birth Injuries

A birth injury can leave a child mentally or physically handicapped for the rest of their lives. Several types of birth injuries can vary in severity, including:

• Cerebral palsy: A brain injury that affects the individual’s muscle control and causes speech and developmental delays.
• Erb’s palsy: A brain injury that causes paralysis of a child’s hand, arm, and shoulder.
• Spinal cord injuries: When a doctor pulls too hard on a newborn’s spine, it causes spinal damage that affects their neck.
• Vacuum extraction complications: If a child is stuck in the birthing canal, a doctor may use a vacuum extractor, but it can cause bleeding in the brain, skull fractures, and shoulder damage.
• Newborn Cephalohematoma: Bleeding in the skull causes blood to pool around the tissue surrounding the brain, causing seizures, brain damage, swelling in the head, and depressions in the head.
• Intrauterine Fetal Demise: When a child dies in utero after the 20th week of pregnancy.
• Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy: Lack of oxygen can cause the individual to experience seizures, hearing and vision issues, and feeding issues.

These are just a fraction of the very many other birth injuries that babies are susceptible to.

Your Child’s Birth Injuries May Be Entitled To Compensation

If your child has suffered a birth injury, please seek assistance from an experienced Charlotte birth injury attorney. Your child deserves the chance to live a comfortable life. At Brown Moore & Associates, PLLC, our team is committed to helping you and your child secure compensation.

When you need a Charlotte birth injury attorney, you can reach out to us by clicking here or calling us at 704-335-1500.