Birth Injuries

Birth Injuries 

Carrying a new bundle of joy can be one of the most gratifying moments in life; however, it also requires tremendous care and workmanship by both mother and father alike. It is an incredible responsibility for any woman, but this journey has numerous necessary actions from conceiving to labor. The woman soon becomes a mother upon labor, she carried it with great caress and hopes to yield a healthy baby, but what if a blunder was committed upon the labor and the certain incident rendered the baby to sustain significant damages? These damages are called birth injuries, and it is not automatically to put blame upon medical practicioners who were involved in the process as this event has many contributing factors. 

Occasionally during the birthing process, most babies are dealt with minor physical injuries that just come from being born - this is often called "birth trauma" or "birth injury." The pain they experience may be due to their large head shape as it makes its way through an already tight space between mother and child, to expand, here are some common causes of birth injuries: 

• Oftentimes, babies being conceived as big can cause birth injuries and may inflict damage as well to its mother, babies may be called large for gestational age if they are over 95% of babies born at the same stage in development. In America, this means that those who weigh more than 8lbs when they're 40 weeks old and also had a full-term birth

• Another cause is when baby is situated not head first during labor or conceiving or medically called breech position, it is said that it may be linked to early labor, twins or more, problems with the uterus, or problems with the baby.

• Premature birth to babies can cause their harm as well because of their soft skin tissues and squishy overall texture that may pose problems when pulling him out. Multiple or frequent pregnancies, long-term conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure and genetic influence are found out to be some cause, but mostly, there is simply just no cause.

• On occassions, labor with medical machinery assistance (instrumental delivery) such as forceps or a ventouse suction cup are used to help deliver the baby can cause unexpected damage when applied improperly. Ventouse and forceps are safe and only used when necessary for you and your baby. This type of procedure is less common in women who have history with birth previously. 

Prevalence of Birth Injury

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), an estimated number of 7 in every 1,000 children are likely to suffer from a birth injury. Birth injuries can be caused by several different factors, such as preterm births. About 9.8% of all newborns are preterm births and others are natural causes and some are medical negligence. 

 What are the common injuries among babies given the causes?

• “Caput succedaneum” refers to swelling, or edema, of an infant's scalp that appears as a lump or bump on their head shortly after delivery. This condition is harmless and due to pressure put on the baby's head during birth. It doesn't indicate damage to the brain tissue.
• The force of labor can be so intense that injuries are inevitable. One such injury is bleeding underneath one of the cranial bones, which happen in around 11% cases and lead to up to a third more skull fractures than those without it.

• The condition of an infant subconjunctival hemorrhage is a medical event that will happen when the small blood vessels located below the eye rupture. When one ruptures, it pools and becomes visible beneath the sclera (the clear membrane covering over your eyes). The result can be a bright red spot on either or both of their eyeballs.

• The brachial plexus is a network of nerves that run from the cervical spinal cord in the neck to your shoulders, arms and hands. These injuries include birth-related palsies, trauma or peripheral tumors. The nerve damage can happen at any time during life, even during labor of an infant and it can inflict long term injury or even disability. 

A birth injury case can be complicated by medical malpractice, and many family members need the testimony of experts to identify errors. If a medical institute's insurer has a trial that's going in court for this type of issue, they may want it settled before things get worse because their reputation could suffer if there are more people who know about them being negligent or causing such damages. Clinging upon injury lawyer's assistance in the course of medical malpractice claim as a first option would be the best as it is the shortest process to grant a family their compensation pay to cover additional medical bills due to the birth injury. Call Ryan LLP now for free legal advice.