Baby Birth Trauma and Their Consequences

Posted On April 9, 2010 In Legal Information

Babies are particularly susceptible to life-changing injuries during the birthing process, and, unfortunately, any number of things can go wrong during this important moment. Medical professionals must closely monitor the mother and her baby in the time leading up to birth. A lack of oxygen during birth can cause brain damage in babies. Discuss your case with a Lufkin injury lawyer if your baby has suffered injuries during his or her birth.

A British woman sued her health care providers in the past week for injuries her baby girl suffered during birth. The woman alleges that the doctors improperly allowed the pregnancy to continue too long because the baby was significantly undersized, and, as a result, she was born with no fluid around her. Doctors should have delivered the baby girl earlier, her mother claims, to avoid the problems that ensued. Baby Isabelle was born unconscious and only weighed 3 pounds, 12 ounces. Doctors diagnosed her as having cerebral palsy, and she spent a month in the neo-natal intensive care unit after her birth. Isabelle now requires constant care, has disabilities that affect all of her limbs, and has limited speech abilities.

Consequences of Baby Birth Trauma

If injuries occur to a baby during birth, there are several consequences from both a medical and a legal standpoint of which parents should take note:

• Traumatic Brain Injury – As the case above demonstrates, traumatic brain injuries such as oxygen deprivation during birth can have disastrous consequences. Negligence on the part of doctors or other medical professionals can also lead to traumatic brain injuries. Improper use of forceps or a vacuum device, for instance, risks damaging a baby’s brain. The consequences last for a lifetime – speech impediments, decreased motor abilities, and constant supervision are all possibilities.
• Insurance Disputes – Medical professionals keep medical malpractice insurance to guard against the risk of lawsuits. If you pursue a lawsuit to recover for your baby’s injuries, the doctor’s insurance company and its team of lawyers will do their utmost to limit their liability and avoid fully compensating you.
• Product Liability – Sometimes medications or medical instruments are to blame for injuries suffered during the birthing process. Courts can hold companies and manufacturers liable for employing unsafe designs, providing inadequate instructions, or failing to test their products sufficiently that medical professionals use during births.

Contact a Lufkin injury attorney at Mike Love & Associates, LLC is available to assist you and your family if your child has suffered a birth injury.