Your child’s birth is a precious moment you will remember forever. It is every parent’s hope that the birth of their child is free of complications, but sadly for some parents and newborns, medical complications do arise. Seven out of every 1,000 babies born in the U.S. will sustain a birth injury. Over 30,000 birth injuries occur annually. Medical malpractice is a leading cause of birth injuries, along with environmental, biological, and nutritional factors. Across the country, doctors and other health professional act negligently to cause birth injuries to newborns that will often lead to a lifetime of problems.

Defining Birth Injuries

A birth injury can be defined as any sort of injury occurring to the newborn during childbirth. Birth injuries are often complications that arise out of labor or delivery, though they can occur even before birth. Birth injuries can range from mild bruising to serious brain damage. Medical malpractice is a main cause of birth injuries, but some do occur as a result of natural causes. A licensed medical malpractice attorney will examine your child’s birth injury and medical history to determine whether medical malpractice played a role in the injury.

The Most Common Birth Injuries

The following is a look at some of the most common birth injuries:

1. Fractured bones: Babies will often suffer broken collar bones or clavicles during child birth. Fractured bones can happen during breech births or other difficult births, and while babies generally recover quickly from these injuries, complications do arise.
2. Cerebral palsy: Cerebral palsy is a serious condition that affects one out of every 3,000 children born in the U.S. today. This disorder causes a range of issues, including poor motor control, muscle spasms, problems with vision or hearing, learning problems, and delayed motor development. It is a lifelong condition.
3. Head and brain injuries: These injuries can range from the mild bruising that can accompany use of forceps to traumatic bleeding in the brain or deprivation of oxygen. Birth complications that involve head and brain injuries can arise from the physician’s failure to timely deliver an infant in distress or due to large size. Brain injuries can impact the infant long term, and are associated with cerebral palsy along with a variety of other serious conditions.
4. Perinatal asphyxia: When an infant is deprived of oxygen, this injury can result. Twisted umbilical cords or delayed caesarean sections are the main causes of perinatal asphyxia. This injury usually has long term affects on mental development.
5. Intracranial or subarachnoid hemorrhage: This birth injury is associated with deep brain bleeds and long term neurological affects. It is most common in premature infants but can also occur in full-term newborns. Bleeding in the brain is associated with inadequate blood flow or diminished oxygen, which can occur as a result of a number of negligent acts, including delayed cesarean section.

Lundy Law: Fighting for Justice for Your Child Injured as a Result of Medical Malpractice

The experienced Personal Injury Attorneys at Lundy Law serving Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware understand how heartbreaking it is to discover that your child has suffered a preventable birth injury. Our medical malpractice attorneys will devote all our resources and skill to see that your child receives the recover to which they are entitled. While we cannot undo the wrong inflicted upon your child, we can lessen the financial impact of a birth injury and ensure your child receives the best care available. Call the dedicated medical malpractice attorneys at Lundy Law today at 1 (800) LUNDYLAW® to schedule your consultation.