Birth Related Neurological Injuries
Birth related neurological injuries are often the result of malpractice or medical negligence in the delivery room. These tragic mistakes can result in severe disabilities that the child and his or her parents must deal with for a lifetime. Injuries might include neurological conditions that have long-term ramifications in terms of medical care, quality of life and economic impact. When the injuries are due to a mistake or act of negligence by medical staff during the labor and delivery process, the results are even more heartbreaking for the victim and family.
What are birth related neurological injuries?
Birth related neurological injuries vary in types and degrees, and may include:
- Brain Damage
- Erb’s Palsy
- Cerebral Palsy
- Hypoxia
- Spinal Cord Damage
- Paralysis
Erb’s Palsy, also referred to as a brachial plexus injury, is a serious nerve injury that results from applying too much pressure to a newborn’s head or shoulder during delivery. Children that are at highest risk for Erb’s Palsy include newborns above average weight, those with breech presentation during labor, and babies with mothers diagnosed with diabetes during pregnancy. Erb’s Palsy may result in extreme weakness or complete loss of movement in an infant’s arm.
Cerebral palsy is a serious birth injury that is typically caused by lack of oxygen to the brain during the labor and delivery process. The resulting brain damage impacts basic motor skills, and can lead to breathing difficulties. Children who are diagnosed with cerebral palsy typically require lifelong care from a team of specialists.
Neurological injuries at birth impact around six out of every 1,000 births, with some conditions noted right away and other diagnosed within the first few months or years of a child’s life. These conditions may result in physical and developmental disabilities that could affect the victim and his family over a lifetime.
Causes of birth injury
These types of birth injuries often originate during the labor and delivery process. Some of the common causes of birth-related neurological injuries include:
- Failure to recognize, diagnose and respond to signs of fetal distress during labor
- Failure to perform delivery by cesarean, when circumstances dictate this might be the safest choice
- Improper use of tools like forceps or vacuum suction during the delivery process
- Failure to recognize risks associated with unusually high or low birth weight
- Failure to follow proper protocol in the delivery room for breech presentation or premature births
When any or all of these circumstances become reality in the delivery room, catastrophic results can occur. The children and their parents may be faced with neurological injuries that directly impact quality of life and financial health of the family.
Contact a New York birth injury attorney
If your child suffers birth injuries that you believe are directly related to medical malpractice or negligence in the delivery room, contact the team at The Sanders Firm today. Our professional staff can help you evaluate the details of your case, to determine whether you might be eligible for legal compensation to help with medical bills and lost wages. Our attorneys have recovered significant settlements for struggling families of children who were injured through birth injury malpractice.
The Sanders Firm brings decades of experience to birth injury lawsuits, ensuring families with injured children receive the compensation they are legally entitled to. We have helped families in Long Island, Staten Island, Queens, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Manhattan pursue justice for medical malpractice. Contact us now to schedule a free, no-obligation evaluation of your case. 1.800.FAIR.PLAY ResourcesNational Institutes of Health, http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/tbi/tbi.htm