When parents are expecting a baby, a birth injury can be devastating. No parent should ever have to learn that a birth injury has caused serious harm to their child. Yet birth injuries certainly do occur. Some types of birth injuries are more common than others, and some birth injuries result from medical negligence or errors, while others do not.
According to Stanford Children’s Health, the most common types of birth injuries include swelling or head bruising, bleeding underneath the baby’s cranial bones, small blood vessels in the baby’s eyes breaking, injuries to the baby’s facial nerve, injury to the baby’s nerves in the arms and hands, and fractures to the baby’s clavicle or collarbone. Depending upon the type of birth injury and its severity, the child could need a lifetime of medical care.
I want you to know how important it is to hold a responsible doctor accountable when negligence causes a birth injury. How do you know if your baby’s birth injury resulted from medical malpractice? While it is difficult to say with certainty until I assess the specific facts of your case, I can provide you with some general information below.
Certain Birth Injuries May Not Be the Result of Malpractice
While many birth injuries do result from a healthcare provider’s negligence, some birth injuries are not caused by medical malpractice. For example, Stanford Children’s Health explains that, in situations in which the baby is especially large and is birthed vaginally, or situations in which the mother is extremely overweight, a birth injury can occur even if the doctor takes all necessary precautions and warns the mother about the risks.
Of course, a doctor is also responsible for taking steps to prevent birth injuries. If another doctor in the same field would have considered a different course of action to be the most reasonable under the circumstances, then a doctor may be liable for a birth injury. To be clear, although some scenarios might have increased risks given the mother’s own health, the doctor still must take certain steps.
Some Medicines and Procedures Have Risks
Some procedures and medications that a mother might take or that might be used during childbirth can pose risks. The ob-gyn is responsible for knowing about any medications the mother takes and avoiding any drugs that could have a harmful interaction. Failure to do so can result in liability. Furthermore, although procedures like cesarean sections (C-sections) can have increased risks, it is important for mothers to know that they do not have to assume all risks associated with such procedures. Mistakes can be made during C-sections that could have been prevented.
Contact Me to Discuss Your Birth Injury Claim
After spending years representing families in birth injury claims, I know how devastating a serious birth injury can be. I want you to know that it is incredibly important to seek financial compensation to help cover the extensive healthcare costs your child will face over the course of his or her life, and it is also important to hold the negligent healthcare provider accountable.
In cases where birth injuries result from medical malpractice, I will do everything I can to help you prove that your healthcare provider’s mistake caused the birth injury. I’ll Make Them Pay!® Do not hesitate to call my office at 877.944.4373 to learn more about the services I provide to individuals and families in Ohio birth injury claims.
