What should be a joyous occasion can turn to devastating loss when a baby suffers permanent severe injuries due to medical negligence at delivery or during the prenatal period.
Birth injuries can cause physical, psychological, cognitive and social consequences. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 3% – about one in 33 babies – suffer from a birth injury.
Causes of birth injuries
While not all birth injuries are due to negligence, a significant number result from a wide variety of medical mistakes. Mothers suffering from high blood pressure are more at risk, while a baby’s cerebral palsy diagnosis can indicate a birth injury. Other causes include:
- Hospital negligence
- Medication errors
- Delayed or traumatic delivery
- Lack of oxygen to the baby’s brain or hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy
- Incorrectly interpreting fetal heart tracings
- High blood pressure in mother signaling preeclampsia
- Shoulder dystocia
- Traumatic injuries resulting from a forceps or vacuum delivery
Some errors can result from the delivery team’s inattentiveness, such as the failure to detect when the baby isn’t getting enough oxygen.
What is the standard of care?
All medical professionals owe patients a level of care, skill and expertise practiced by other doctors in their medical community. Medical malpractice claims often result when physicians and other medical professionals fail to act in accordance with those standards.
Diagnoses and remedies for medical mistakes
Parents are devastated when birth injuries occur. That’s why working with an experienced birth injury attorney is crucial for your legal claim. Your lawyer not only has the knowledge to argue your case but is compassionate to help your family through this period of intense pain.
Your lawyer has in-depth knowledge of Michigan’s medical regulations and the standard of care. They also work with medical experts to determine negligence. Remedies include the current and future medical needs for the child, loss of future income and other expenses, as well as pain and suffering.
