There are many types of injuries a newborn baby can sustain. Most result from some level of complication that occurs during labor and delivery. Some have no lasting effect on the baby while others can have long-term or even lifetime consequences. They can range from minor bruises to nerve damage, or even brain injury. In certain extreme cases, they can lead to death.
If your child sustained an injury at or during birth, you need to know for sure whether the cause was natural and unavoidable or if it was the result of a medical professional’s negligence. Without the proper expertise, it can be difficult or impossible for most people to make that determination. This is why you need to seek the advice of a Waco, TX personal injury attorney.
Common Birth Injuries
Some injuries can be easily explained as part of the normal birthing process. Bruising to the face and head are often the result of the baby’s head coming in contact with the mother’s pelvic bone during the delivery. A difficult birth can also fracture a baby’s collar bone (clavicle) but these injuries are comparatively minor and temporary. The baby usually recovers from them in a few days to a few weeks.
Other injuries present grey areas. If a baby is injured by the use of forceps, bruising, skull fracture or facial paralysis could result. In some cases, these injuries are not inflicted by the forceps but in other cases, they are. Determining the cause is the job of an experienced birth injury attorney. If a baby suffers brain injury, often times it can be attributed to lack of oxygen for a prolonged period. This happens if the umbilical cord wraps around the baby’s neck undetected. Whether the doctor could or could not have detected it is also an issue an attorney trained in these kinds of cases can help resolve.
Medical Malpractice
There are also a number of instances that are far more clear-cut when it comes to determining negligence on the part of a medical professional. Some of these include:
- Failing to anticipate specific complications related to the size and health of the fetus
- Failing to recognize or respond to fetal distress, particularly an irregular heartbeat
- Failing to respond to signs of excessive bleeding
- Failing to order immediately necessary treatments like cesarean section
- Misuse of medical equipment
- Misuse of Pitocin in labor inducement
The baby can also become injured as the result of inadequate care following the birth. These include improper circumcision or failing to properly treat an infection.
Get the Facts – Know your Rights
An experienced birth injury attorney will review all relevant medical records related to the birth and neonatal care the baby received and will seek the advice of an objective third-party medical professional if needed. If you believe you have a case, do not delay. Call a trusted Waco birth injury attorney for a consultation today.
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