The entire basis of a medical malpractice case is to prove that a doctor or healthcare provider was negligent. Medical malpractice occurs when healthcare professionals cause harm because they do not give quality medical care during childbirth or make careless mistakes. If you think your child may have suffered an injury at birth, take note of your child’s physical, social, and emotional developmental milestones. An early diagnosis can help your child get the treatment he or she needs as soon as possible.
Here are some common birth injuries:
- Cerebral Palsy– Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that affect the brain’s control over muscles and the nervous system. It develops due to brain damage shortly before or during birth.
- Brachial Plexus or Erb’s Palsy– Injury to the network of nerves that send signals from your spinal cord to your shoulder, arm, and hand. This happens during childbirth and can leave a child paralyzed or one or both arms severely disabled.
- Perinatal Asphyxia- Results from the lack of oxygen intake by the baby during birth and causes brain damage.
- Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)- Baby suffers brain damage due to the lack of oxygen during labor and delivery.
- Focal Ischemic Stroke- Occurs when there is a spasm, obstruction, injury or a clot within a cerebral vessel. Often caused by excessive trauma during labor and delivery due to excessive contractions or during operative vaginal deliveries using forceps or vacuum extraction.
To understand more about birth injury medical malpractice lawsuits and whether you can receive compensation for your child’s injuries, contact an experienced attorney at The Lawrence Firm for a free consultation.