When soon-to-be parents are awaiting the arrival of their new bundle of joy, the last thing they ever want to think about is the potential for birth injuries during the labor and delivery process. Some expectant mothers have higher risk factors than others. It is their doctor’s job to identify those factors and work to avoid preventable birth injuries to the baby’s head, spinal cord, and other areas in the birth canal.
There is a stark difference between birth injuries and congenital disabilities. Most birth injuries occur during labor and delivery. There may be no prior indications that anything is wrong during the pregnancy (though a severe injury could occur during gestation). On the other hand, congenital disabilities typically develop during the gestation period. The result can be a lifetime of pain, discomfort, emotional stress, and physical and cognitive abilities issues.
At Frischmann & Rizza in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, our medical malpractice attorneys have vast experience and expertise in handling brain injuries and brachial plexus injuries (leading to brachial plexus birth palsy), cerebral palsy, and many birth injuries that have been diagnosed. Our legal team will provide you with the support and legal representation you need to hold those medical professionals liable for the birth injury.
What Are Serious Birth Injuries in Newborns?
A birth injury diagnosis means that something occurred, typically during labor or delivery, caused a severe medical problem with your baby. Suppose your child’s birth injury was caused by negligence or a serious error made by your doctor, nurse, or another member of the healthcare community. In that case, you may be eligible to file a medical malpractice lawsuit in Pennsylvania.
Severe birth injuries could be related to the baby’s shoulder getting stuck in the birth canal, a doctor pulling too hard on the baby’s head and the baby suffering an injury or brain damage (such as Erb’s palsy), or even a child whose head was too large to fit between the mother’s pelvic bones and injury occurring. The doctor should have provided professional medical advice and determined a course of action that would not harm the newborn or the mother.
Types of Birth Injuries and Risk Factors
There are a wide variety of birth injury types and risk factors that your doctor should have identified before the delivery of your child. Knowing that there was a risk may change the way the delivery took place because birth injury prevention should be a top priority. Rather than enduring birth injury treatment for (potentially) the rest of the child’s life, recognizing the issues early can eliminate the potential for neonatal brachial plexus palsy or brain damage.
Some of the most common risks that may affect the baby during birth include:
- Excessive fetal weight
- Abnormal fetal position
- Oligohydramnios
- Maternal obesity
- Rh-Incompatibility
- Maternal age
- Prolonged labor
- Use of instruments during delivery
- Infections
- Pre-eclampsia
- Meconium aspiration
- Placental abnormalities
- Umbilical cord issues
While this list is not exhaustive, it does contain many risks that should be recognized and discussed with you by your physician.
At Frischmann & Rizza, we have handled many different birth injury cases. We are dedicated to helping parents of children who sustained injuries during the birth fight for the compensation they deserve. Some of the most common types of injury to the baby include:
- Head injuries
- Spinal cord injury
- Nerve injuries
- Cranial nerve damage
- Brachial plexus injury to the brachial plexus nerves
- Erb’s palsy
- Klumpke’s palsy
- Bone fractures
- Lacerations
- Brain injury leading to cerebral palsy
Babies born with even minor injuries can have difficulty throughout their lives when it comes to overcoming the challenges created by neonatal birth trauma. It is critical that those parents whose child sustained an injury during the birthing process contact an experienced medical malpractice firm to determine if they may be eligible to hold the doctors and medical staff responsible for the damage.
How Does Birth Trauma Occur?
A birth injury prognosis should be recognizable to your doctor, especially if you are a high-risk patient. When the risks are not noticed, the resulting injuries could have catastrophic effects on the child’s life. The doctor should use your family medical history, examinations, and medical reports to determine if extra precautions should be taken.
When these precautions are not enacted, easily preventable injuries could result in both the mother and the unborn child. While some injuries may disappear within a few weeks after birth, others will take a lifetime of physical therapy, surgeries, medications, and other treatments to care for physical and developmental disabilities.
Who Can Be Held Responsible for Spinal Cord Injuries and Other Birth Trauma?
Depending on the circumstances of the injury, there could be several different people and entities who could be held responsible. A doctor who uses the medical equipment negligently may be liable, but the hospital could also be held accountable for their actions in the delivery room.
When you contact our medical malpractice attorneys at Frischmann & Rizza in Pittsburgh, we will provide you with a free case evaluation to determine if you can file a lawsuit and who can be held liable for the injuries your child sustained. Our injury team is dedicated to helping parents of infants injured by a medical professional’s negligence fight for compensation.
Contact Our Pittsburgh Medical Negligence Attorneys
If your child sustained a serious birth injury due to a doctor or other medical professional’s negligence or recklessness during the birthing process, contact Frischmann & Rizza. We have the experience, skills, and expertise to stand up for you and your child against the doctors who harmed you.
Our legal team will fight for your rights as a victim of medical malpractice and work to ensure you get the compensation you deserve. When a doctor’s negligence causes serious birth injuries, especially those that could have been prevented, you and your family deserve to hold that medical professional accountable through a medical malpractice lawsuit.
Contact our experienced Pittsburgh medical malpractice attorneys at Frischmann & Rizza today to schedule your free consultation!
