Birth Injuries Caused by Negligence

Birth Injuries Caused by Negligence

In the process of carry a child for nine months, it is filled with anticipation and hope including how parents are looking forward how pretty and healthy their baby is. As the baby is being delivered, surrounding people are feeling anxious on the outcome of the delivery and hope for the best outcome and healthy delivery, but oftentimes, medical staffs and practitioners commit blunder and negligence that results in bad outcome where a baby has sustained internal and external injuries that are said to last for lifetime most of the time. 

In this blog, we are going to talk about the main procedures that most of the time ends up in sustenance of injury for the baby as medical practitioners always ask for consent to the patient when doing a procedure, so patient can be aware of its danger and side effects. 

Frequency and Tendencies of Birth Injuries 

• From the recent studies from National Healthcare Quality Report (AHRQ), there is an estimated number of 6.68 of every 1,000 birth injuries in the year 2000 and occurred to male infants whereas 5.08 female infants out of 1,000 new born are injured. 
  
  
• In the same year, 4.33 out of every 1,000 birth traumas occurred in for-profit, private hospitals and 7.15 out of every 1,000 birth traumas occurred at private, non-profit hospitals.
  
  
• In addition, AHRQ states that 6.11 out over 1,000 birth injuries happened in public hospitals, 5.53 out of every 1,000 birth injuries happened at hospitals with 100 beds or less, and 5.45 birth injuries occurred at hospitals with 100 to 200 beds. 
  
  
• 5.53 on every 1000 birth injury occurrence happen at hospitals with less than 100 beds. 
  
  
• 4.33 on every 1000 birth traumas occur in private hospitals. 
  
  
• 5.08 on every 1000 birth injuries occur mostly in female in 2000 alone.
  
  
• On every 1,000 infants born in U.S., up to 8 of them are born or has sustained a birth injury. 

Birth injury is a form of medical malpractice (is a medical and legal cause of series of actions that has led to harm, sustenance of injuries, and even death of a patient by medical or health care professionals with a negligent or malicious intent) as a new born is in state of harm because of negligence and malice displayed by medical professionals within the course of a procedure. 

Common Procedures that Results in Injuries

Vacuum Extraction 

Vacuum Extraction is used when a baby is struck in the birth canal during birthing process, it requires a consent but doctors commonly resort to use a vacuum device to easen the delivery. The vacuum looks like a suction cup-like bond on the baby's head and makes pulling the baby easy, but there is a risk that harms the baby's brain if done badly. 

Vaginal Birth and C-Section

Most infant deliveries in U.S. are done with C-section delivery, it is done by making a cut in mother's stomach and extract the baby in there. The risk of it is when the baby is too big for a vaginal birth wherein if continued, the chances of the baby to sustain injury such as broken bones is high. Key idea when making a decision between a vaginal or c-section birth is for the medical professionals to assess the size of the baby and its tendencies. 

Call you Lawyer

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.