You’ve likely met someone with either shoulder dystocia or cerebral palsy before, and you may have assumed that these medical conditions were genetics-related, since they are present from birth.
They’re not. They are two examples of birth injuries that may occur due to a physician’s negligence in delivering a child instead.
What causes birth injuries?
Most birth injuries result from a fetus’ subjection to significant physical pressure during the birthing process.
A significant number of birth injuries result from doctors clasping a baby’s head with forceps to help pull them through the birth canal too early in the birthing process. It’s become increasingly common for doctors to delay their use of forceps nowadays, a factor that has resulted in fewer birth injuries in recent years.
Most medical schools train doctors to deliver a baby via cesarean section (C-section) when a baby is breech or weighs ten or more pounds. Babies may have their air supply cut off, resulting in cerebral palsy, or the fetus’ arm may become dislodged behind their mother’s pubic bone if a doctor moves forward in trying to deliver a baby naturally in these instances.
What steps can doctors take to reduce birth injury incidence rates?
Maternal safety studies have focused on things doctors can do to enhance both a mother’s and baby’s childbirth outcomes. These studies have honed how important it is for doctors to use ultrasound technology and prenatal assessments to assess fetal development and determine when further preventative intervention is necessary.
How can you hold a negligent doctor accountable?
While many Indiana doctors take necessary measures to minimize the chances of a baby or mother suffering an adverse outcome, they are a handful of physicians that do not. While many of these doctors’ actions result in a child suffering bruising, scrapes or cuts that soon heal, some leave a lasting impact that affects a child long-term.
Speaking with an attorney can help you better understand your options and rights, and it’s often the best way to protect your interests and your child’s future.
