5 Common Birth Injuries
Carrying your baby and giving birth should be one of the most joyous and memorable experiences in life, however, there can be complications and cases of medical malpractice where an infant is harmed by a medical professional’s actions. Your child’s safety and security should be your number one priority, so if you believe you haven’t received adequate care, it’s important to seek advice. To gain a better understanding on whether you have a medical negligence case, here are five of the most common birth injuries.
Cerebral Palsy
For every 1,000 children who are born, it’s estimated that 2-3 may have cerebral palsy. Common signs of cerebral palsy include weak muscles, muscle spasms, and lack of motor skill development. In many instances, cerebral palsy is caused by damage to the brain that happened during birth. There are various things that can lead to cerebral palsy, such as inadequate birth techniques, and improper monitoring of the mother. There are additional health issues that can occur for those with cerebral palsy, such as hearing and vision impairments. If you believe your child has cerebral palsy because of medical negligence, finding out more about cerebral palsy claims may help.
Facial Paralysis
If too much pressure was placed on your baby’s face during childbirth, this can result in damaged facial nerves. Facial paralysis is more common when the baby is pulled out by vacuum extraction or with forceps. As a result of this, your baby may not be able to move the affected side of their face, including closing their eye.
Oxygen Deprivation
Another common birth injury is oxygen deprivation. This can occur during the delivery, which can bring on chronic seizures or cerebral palsy. If your doctor has failed to monitor your infant throughout and after the birth, brain injuries can occur. There are various physical problems and intellectual disabilities that your child can suffer from with even mild oxygen deprivation.
Brachial Plexus
Brachial plexus is when there is damage caused to the nerves which go from the upper spine to the neck, arm, hand, and shoulder. While this damage can be temporary for some, for others it can result in a permanent disability. A brachial plexus injury can occur when the nerves are compressed, stretched, or in more serious cases, torn away or ripped apart from the spinal cord.
Caput Succedaneum
If your baby has a significant amount of swelling on their scalp, this may be a sign of caput succedaneum. While some babies may get some bruises of the area, any swelling tends to disappear within a few days. Babies who are delivered by vacuum extraction are more at risk of having this condition. Thankfully, caput succedaneum isn’t life threatening, so any injuries should heal on their own.
While most births are straightforward, complications can occur which result in birth injuries for your child. If you believe the injury was because of medical negligence, it’s crucial that you make a claim. Birth injuries can have a severe impact on your child’s quality of life, so if you are in any doubt about whether more could have been done, it’s best to seek legal advice as soon as possible.
