When You Have Been Injured,Your Attorney's Experience Matters

  1. Home
  2.  — 
  3. Medical Malpractice
  4.  — Birth Injuries

Birth Injury Attorneys Fighting For Justice For You And Your Family

During the nine months of pregnancy, expectant mothers and fathers are filled with anticipation and excitement. They are busy picking out names and dreaming about the day they will get to hold their new baby – never thinking that the day they welcome their tiny bundle of joy into the world would be marked by trauma. Sadly, birth injuries do occur as a result of medical negligence.

Because expectant mothers are usually busy during those nine months as they get the nursery ready, read up on parenting tips and go to doctor’s appointments, they rarely spend time researching birth injuries. In fact, the thought doesn’t even cross most mothers’ minds, which is normal. For this reason, we have put together detailed information about types of birth injuries, causes of birth injuries, treatments and useful information about pursuing medical malpractice claims so that parents who have just learned of their child’s birth injury will have the best information possible at their fingertips.

If your family is dealing with the aftermath of a birth injury, Shevlin Smith, P.C., can help. Our lawyers offer compassionate, one-on-one legal assistance as they advocate for your rights, both in and out of the courtroom. We understand what a difficult and emotional time this is for you and your family. When you trust your case to us, we’ll handle every detail so you can focus on spending time with your loved ones and moving forward.

Common Types Of Birth Injuries

Birth injuries can take many forms, including:

  • Brain injury: Infant brain damage can occur due to a lack of oxygen during childbirth. This can be due to a nurse or doctor failing to intervene fast enough when the infant is stuck in the birth canal. Also, if doctors allow labor to go on too long or if there is excessive pulling during delivery, a baby can suffer brain damage. There are many other causes of infant brain damage, such as untreated jaundice and umbilical cord issues; however, the end result is that the infant is deprived of adequate oxygen during birth.
  • Cephalohematoma: This type of birth injury generally occurs during a prolonged labor or when a doctor uses a vacuum extractor or forceps incorrectly to assist during delivery. As a result, the baby can experience a collection of blood underneath the skin between the skull and membrane. Babies born with cephalohematoma are at an increased risk for suffering from a skull fracture, head trauma and developmental delays.
  • Cerebral palsy: When a doctor uses excessive force to deliver a baby and a child suffers head trauma, or an obstetrician fails to perform a cesarean section in time and the baby suffers a lack of oxygen, cerebral palsy may be the result. This type of birth injury causes spasticity, seizures, vision and hearing difficulties, learning disabilities, speech issues, breathing and swallowing problems, and a number of neurological disorders that affect a child’s muscle coordination and body movement –ultimately affecting the way a child walks and talks. Sadly, this disorder has a lifelong impact on the injured child and family.
  • Erb’s palsy: Also known as brachial plexus injury, this can occur when an obstetrician uses too much force on the shoulder of the baby when trying to get the infant out of the birth canal. The baby can suffer an injury to the brachial plexus nerve network near the neck, causing weakness or paralysis in the arm and shoulder.
  • Klumpke’s palsy: When a difficult vaginal delivery occurs, a doctor might pull the baby from the birth canal by an extended arm. This maneuver can cause an injury to the baby’s hand and forearm, producing a “claw hand” or partial paralysis in the injured hand.
  • Seizure disorder: If a newborn has a seizure right after birth, it could indicate that a brain injury occurred during delivery from a lack of oxygen. Seizures can be marked by a slow jerk of one part of the body or a rapid twitching or jerking movement of the entire body. Many babies who suffer from seizures also suffer from cerebral palsy.
  • Paralysis: When a doctor uses forceps or a vacuum extractor in the wrong way and too much force is put on the baby’s spinal cord, it is possible the infant will suffer spinal cord damage and paralysis. Also, a birth injury that causes brain damage and cerebral palsy can sometimes cause paralysis.
  • Wrongful death: What was supposed to be the most joyous day can sometimes turn into the most tragic day when something goes wrong and a baby dies at birth or shortly after. When medical mistakes and negligence are the cause of an infant’s death, it is considered wrongful death and the hospital and negligent health care professionals need to be held accountable.

Many of these injuries and conditions can occur for reasons other than medical negligence. However, if you suspect that a physician or hospital was to blame, we urge you to discuss your concerns with one of our attorneys.

What Treatments Are Available For Birth Injuries?

Because birth injuries can range in severity, the type of treatment will depend on the specific birth injury. For example:

  • In mild birth injury cases, physical therapy can help injured infants make full recoveries. Physical therapy is often used to treat brachial plexus injuries and weakened muscles; however, physical therapists also work with infants who suffer from cerebral palsy and other serious disorders.
  • In more serious cases, surgery may be the most effective method to correct a birth injury. Although no parent wants to have their young child undergo surgery, sometimes surgery is the only type of treatment that may help correct the problem. This is often the case when a skull fracture or bleeding in the brain occurs.
  • In severe birth injury cases, children may have to live with permanent disabilities or deformities. Although physical therapy and surgery may help in some situations, other birth injuries can be so severe that they cause lifelong complications, such as paralysis and cerebral palsy.

When birth injuries occur, the effects are often noticeable at the time of birth; however, it can take time for doctors, nurses and parents to recognize that something isn’t right. Once a birth injury is detected, it is important that treatment occurs immediately.

The Importance Of Support After A Birth Injury

You shouldn’t have to go through this ordeal alone. It’s important to rely on all available resources, including:

  • Family support: It is essential to rely on family and friends during this difficult time. Relatives and others in your life may want to cook a meal for you, pray for you or help out in any way they can. It is best after a situation like a birth injury to let your family help you and be there for you.
  • Mental health support: Because you suffered emotionally as a result of the trauma that occurred to your child at birth, it is critical to talk with a counselor about your thoughts and feelings surrounding the trauma your family endured.
  • Legal support: You may or may not know if you want to pursue a birth injury claim. Most injury firms – including ours – provide free consultations, so it is in your best interest to get some legal advice.

Because birth injury cases can be overwhelming, they require an experienced legal team to hold doctors and hospitals accountable. We have more than 70 years of combined experience and have litigated many medical malpractice claims.

Causes Of Birth Injuries

Birth injuries can occur for many reasons, some of which include:

  • Delayed cesarean section (C-section): When an obstetrician isn’t monitoring the mother and baby closely and misses warning signs, a necessary C-section may get delayed. If a doctor fails to perform a timely C-section, a baby can suffer from cerebral palsy, brain damage and even death.
  • Misuse of labor and delivery tools: Some doctors still use forceps and vacuum extractors to assist with difficult labors. Forceps are a medical device that a doctor may use to help guide the infant’s head out of the birth canal. A vacuum extractor is a suctioning cup that is placed on the baby’s head and allows a doctor to help pull the baby out of the birth canal. When these tools are used incorrectly or with too much force, the baby can suffer a wide range of serious birth injuries.
  • Shoulder dystocia: When an infant’s shoulder or shoulders get stuck on the mother’s pelvis during delivery and the doctor doesn’t recognize it and makes an error, shoulder dystocia can occur. There are many injuries caused by shoulder dystocia deliveries, such a broken arm, broken clavicle or nerve injury. Often, a baby will suffer a brachial plexus injury, such as Erb’s palsy or Klumpke’s palsy as a result of a shoulder dystocia delivery.
  • Failure to diagnose and treat gestational diabetes: If a mother’s gestational diabetes isn’t diagnosed and treated during pregnancy, the high blood glucose levels can put the baby at risk of low blood sugar levels, calcium deficiencies, jaundice, incomplete lung development, obesity and stillbirth. Also, many babies are abnormally large for their gestational age, which puts them at an increased risk for suffering injuries due to improper use of birthing tools.
  • Improperly managed preeclampsia: Preeclampsia is a serious condition to have during pregnancy, as it causes insufficient blood flow to the baby. When an obstetrician doesn’t monitor and manage a mother’s blood pressure properly, a baby can suffer from poor fetal growth, placental abruption, brain damage and lifelong problems.
  • Untreated maternal infections: There are many maternal infections that can be passed on to babies during pregnancy and delivery. This is why doctors are supposed to screen for them during pregnancy. Some of these infections that can harm a child include group B strep, rubella and syphilis. When doctors fail to handle the situation correctly, babies can suffer birth defects, brain injuries and even death.
  • Misuse of Pitocin: Pitocin is a labor-inducing drug. When it is administered incorrectly, it can have devastating effects for the baby. Some of the risks of overuse of Pitocin include failure to detect fetal distress and failure to perform an emergency C-section, which can often lead to brain damage and cerebral palsy.
  • Failure to respond to fetal distress: Because the birthing process can take a long time, nurses and doctors are supposed to constantly monitor the baby’s heartbeat and oxygen levels. If they fail to recognize the signs of fetal distress, a baby can suffer from lack of oxygen, which can cause a brain injury, cerebral palsy, paralysis and even death.

Although there are many specific causes of birth injuries, the common cause is medical negligence. When doctors or nurses fail to monitor mothers and babies properly, infants can suffer from a wide range of minor to serious birth injuries. Our firm can help you fight to hold the responsible parties accountable when a birth injury occurs.

Birth Injuries Medical Malpractice FAQ

Parents come to us when they are experiencing emotional distress after a birth injury. We want to be there for our clients in every way possible. At NAPNAME, here are some of the frequently asked questions we receive:

Is a birth injury a form of medical malpractice?

Medical malpractice occurs when a professional health care provider, such as a doctor, nurse, technician or hospital worker, performs their duties in a way that would harm patients. A birth injury can be a form of medical malpractice. Many of the clients that we see have suffered from medical malpractice both during pregnancy and the delivery of a child. As a result of a health care provider’s negligence, a child may suffer from birth injuries.

Is there a difference between a birth injury and a birth defect?

A birth injury can result from, for example, the misuse of medical devices or from the improper use of a medical technique during delivery, which has led to a child’s injury. A child’s birth defect is often the result of something, such as environmental or genetic factors, that occurred before the child’s birth and during the mother’s pregnancy. At NAPNAME, we can investigate a child’s injury to determine whether it was a birth defect or the result of medical malpractice.

How can I prove medical negligence in a birth injury case?

For medical malpractice to exist, a health care professional must have acted in a way that was below the accepted standard of medical care. To prove whether their actions led to a birth injury, our lawyers often have to consult with other qualified medical experts. We do this so that we can gather evidence and present a case showing that a birth injury was the result of a medical professional deviating from an acceptable standard of care.

What damages can I seek in a birth injury lawsuit?

We have fought for many of our clients so that they are properly compensated for the poor treatment they were given that has led to their baby’s birth injuries and parents’ emotional distress. A successful medical malpractice lawsuit can provide compensation for medical expenses, pain, suffering and other losses.

Discuss Your Legal Options With An Attorney For Free

At Shevlin Smith, P.C., we believe no child should ever have to suffer as a result of a medical error. We are passionate about advocating for injured children and their parents. If you are looking to get some questions answered or are ready to hold the doctor or hospital liable, one of our experienced Fairfax birth injury lawyers would be honored to talk with you and help you. To take advantage of a free consultation, you can contact us online or call 703-634-7350.