A significant number of medical malpractice claims are filed for negligence during what should be a time of celebration. Birth injuries can occur during or after a baby’s delivery and can happen to the child as well as the mother.
In some instances, birth injuries are temporary, while others have long-lasting or permanent effects. Many times they are the direct result of preventable mistakes by doctors, or due to their lack of training and skills.
Brain-related injuries
A wide variety of brain-related injuries can occur to a newborn baby, often from a lack of oxygen, including hypoxia, anoxia and birth asphyxia. Newborns deprived of oxygen can suffer:
- Brain ischemia after the brain is denied oxygen and nutrients
- Brain hemorrhage when blood vessels leak
- Seizures and cerebral palsy
Muscle-related injuries
Injuries affecting muscles can be related to blatant medical malpractice such as cuts, bruises and broken bones. Some common injuries include:
- Erb’s Palsy: Affects the nerves of an infant’s upper arm and can result in a loss of feeling or weakness while, in some cases, total paralysis can occur.
- Klumpke’s Palsy: Damage to the lower nerves in the arm can affect the arm, wrist and fingers. Some infants suffer total paralysis and the arm takes on a claw-like form.
- Brachial Plexus: Weakness, burning sensations and sharp pain can result when an infant’s upper arm is injured during delivery.
- Shoulder Dystocia: While this complication happens only in 1% of all pregnancies when an infant’s head and shoulders are trapped behind the mother’s pelvic bone, extreme risks exist for both mother and baby.
Birth injuries can be complex and devastating
Childbirth should be one of the most joyous moments in anyone’s life. However, negligence by doctors or other medical personnel can quickly turn that joy into grief and cause needlessly long and expensive medical care. An experienced New York medical malpractice attorney can help you receive fair compensation for past, present and future medical needs.