Birthing injuries or other complications during birth can cause lifelong problems for both mother and baby. Many birthing injuries are considered inevitable accidents, but studies suggest that certain birthing injuries might be a result of medical malpractice.
What are some common birthing injuries?
Birthing injuries are classified as any injury to mother or baby during the birthing process. Infants are more likely than mothers to be injured, but a problem might not be noticed right away.
Some babies have shoulder injuries at the time of birth. Other times, a baby might have neurological or brain damage from something gone wrong in the birthing process. A birthing injury that affects the neurological function of a baby from the time of birth can cause a lifetime of issues or complications. These most often happen when the baby is denied oxygen for too long or if there’s some sort of trauma to the baby’s head.
Unfortunately, one of the most common consequences is the infant dying shortly after birth or being stillborn. If the cause can’t be determined, it’s most likely to be written off as an accident rather than a medical malpractice case.
How can birthing injuries be the doctor’s fault?
While some infant deaths and birthing injuries can’t be prevented, there are things that doctors should be doing to minimize the risk. One of these things is constant monitoring of the fetal heart rate. If the heart rate dips below a certain threshold, or the baby’s oxygen level drops at all, then this could be a sign that the baby is in distress. The doctor should act quickly and consider all options to prevent long-term damage. Instead, miscommunication between midwives, doctors and parents can cause a doctor to be apprehensive.
Reach out to a lawyer if you believe your birthing injury was a result of medical malpractice. A personal injury attorney may be able to help you recover compensation.