Not many life experiences are as exciting as welcoming a new bundle of joy into the world. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for those moments of joy to be disrupted by a life-altering injury like brain damage to your little bundle of joy.
If a healthcare provider’s preventable mistakes lead to brain injury to your child, you deserve justice. New York negligence laws allow you to pursue damages through a birth injury claim. But how exactly does brain injury happen at birth?
Here are three complications that can lead to brain injuries at birth:
1. Umbilical cord problems
An umbilical cord is the baby’s lifeline in the womb. Through it, the baby feeds and receives oxygen. Umbilical cord problems like wrapping around the fetus’ neck (a condition known as the nuchal cord) can lead to injuries before and during delivery.
2. Infections to the mother
Infections are not uncommon during pregnancy. However, if these infections are not diagnosed and treated in time, they can pass over to the baby and cause injury to the central nervous system. Infections that a mother can pass to her unborn baby include sepsis, chorioamnionitis, herpes simplex virus (HSV) and Group B Strep (GBS).
3. Delivery-related complications
Vacuum extractors can cause injuries to the infant’s head during delivery. This commonly happens when this cup-like device is improperly used or if it is used by an inexperienced healthcare provider resulting in subgaleal hemorrhage.
Basically, this injury happens when the extractor damages veins in the baby’s head resulting in bleeding to the brain. A vacuum extractor can also cause intracranial hemorrhage, stroke as well as trauma to the baby’s skull and spinal cord.
When labor pains start and it’s time to head to the delivery room, every parent hopes for a safe delivery. Unfortunately, there are times when things do not go as planned. If your baby sustains a brain injury, you need to hold pursue the liable party for damages.