For parents, the shocking news that their child suffered from birth injuries during delivery is a devastating moment. A child born suffering life-changing injuries at birth has immediate challenges that could require around-the-clock care, particularly if they are left brain damaged or suffering from cerebral palsy or Erb’s palsy.
Sad statistics
- Fractured collarbones are the most common birth injury, accounting for 15 out of 1,000 births
- In the category of motor disabilities, brain injuries that result in cerebral palsy are the most common and occur in 1.5 to 4 children in every 1,000 births
- Long-term effects are often associated with Erb’s palsy, with 12,000 newborns every year, limiting a child’s use of their arm, shoulder, and hand
Causes of birth injuries
- Delayed birth occurs that occurs in approximately eight percent of deliveries. Infants have challenges in moving through the birth canal, with many suffering nerve and muscle damage. The cause is often associated with significant body mass index or substantial weight gain during the course of a pregnancy.
- Trusted doctors falling short in their reliance on certain tools to facilitate delivery, including vacuum extraction or forceps use, can lead to newborns suffering injuries. Vacuum-related complications can result in injuries and hemorrhages, with some leading to infections and death.
- Doctors who fail to properly monitor potential health issues prior to birth. An insurance company study revealed that 40 percent of claims involved lax management of labor and delivery. Failure to monitor mothers correctly can lead to oversights that result in complications that could result in a myriad of birth injuries.
Birth injuries are both legally complex and emotionally charged cases that require an attorney to navigate parents through a complicated process that focuses on holding physicians accountable for their negligence.