Delivery Room Errors and Birth Injury: Know Your Rights
Having a child is one of the most beautiful and fulfilling moments in any person’s life. However, things could very quickly turn sour if newborns experience birth complications due to mistakes from healthcare professionals. It should be noted that births do not just involve the safety and security of the child. Additionally, the well being of the mother should also be considered when it comes to performing effective health service delivery.
To have a smooth and uncomplicated labor process, healthcare professionals must prepare to face any type of difficulties during birth. Mothers should also make sure that they took good care of themselves and their children prenatal. Lastly, doctors and nurses must prepare for issues that may arise during childbirth.
Birth Injuries and Delivery Room Mistakes
As much as anyone would like to avoid it, there are cases when accidents happen, especially in the delivery room. Although there are mistakes that can be forgiven, congenital disabilities brought about by improper care should be dealt with and you should contact a knowledgeable attorney. Here are some of the most common birth injuries and delivery room mistakes that you should note if you live in Michigan:
Failure to diagnose – While most birth injuries and delivery room mistakes happen during labor, there are costly errors that could affect the lives of children long before they get delivered. This is where failure to diagnose comes into the picture. Even before childbirth, doctors should be able to spot genetic issues that can potentially affect the quality of life the child will have if the parent carries the child to term. They should be able to see if the placement or position of the child is conducive to natural childbirth, or if it would be ideal to have a cesarean section instead. If the doctors failed to see obvious issues like fetal position and genetic issues, then they should be held liable for birth defects that could accrue because of it.
Oxygen deprivation or reduced oxygen – Anoxia (oxygen deprivation) or hypoxia (reduced oxygen) can lead to development problems. In the worst case, it can even be fatal for newborns. These can happen due to several issues during birth, including but not limited to premature placental abruption, umbilical cord entanglement, the inability of the child to breathe after birth, and strong contractions caused by too much Pitocin use. There are machines let doctors know if the baby is experiencing signs of fetal distress. If no one from the obstetrical team notices this, they can be held liable for their mistake.
Traumatic Injuries – Delivering a child isn’t easy. Regardless if it’s a normal birth or a cesarean section, things are definitely going to get bloody. There are times, however, when healthcare professionals get careless during delivery, leading to birth trauma that can affect the newborn for a lifetime.
Some of these traumas include the following:
Physical injuries and infection – These happen during prolonged labor. The baby’s head and brain get compressed for a longer period because of the pressure in the pelvis. When newborns take too long to deliver via natural birth, these are some of the main injuries they might have.
Cerebral bleeds and contusions – Sometimes, medical equipment like vacuum extractors and forceps get misused during childbirth. If these hit the baby in vulnerable areas, it can damage their brain tissues and blood vessels, leading to skull fractures, skin lacerations, and brain compression.
Erb’s Palsy – Also called brachial plexus palsy, this happens if the baby’s shoulder or neck is stretched too far during delivery because of excessive or abnormal traction.
Clavicle or collarbone fractures – These happen when physicians subject newborns to unnecessary force or apply excessive traction during cesarean delivery. A simple mistake with even the smallest nick can leave permanent physical or developmental damage to the baby.
Healthcare professionals undergo years of training before they are allowed to deliver babies, as this requires care and precision. If trained doctors make costly mistakes in the delivery room, the lives of the babies they deliver can forever be affected. Healthcare professionals must therefore perform to the best of their ability in delivery rooms to avoid birth traumas and accidents.
Help For Birth Injuries and Delivery Room Errors in Michigan
If you live in Michigan and you’ve experienced issues with the way certain healthcare professionals dealt with the birth of your child, then you should approach The Clark Law Office. We have been handling medical malpractice suits for years, and we would be glad to represent you and your child to the best of our ability. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us!
