An Introduction to childbirth injuries

There is a general misunderstanding among many people that pregnancy and childbirth are not major occurrences in a woman's life, and that the risks associated with both are rather benign.  This could not be farther from the truth.  Conventional childbirth, even with no complications, has a significant amount of risk,. and when the birth process is complicated, and a caesarian section is necessary, the risks increase even further.  

Given the complicated and inherently dangerous nature of childbirth, when doctor and nursing error occurs, the risks to both mother and child increase even further.  Here are few issues to remember regarding medical negligence and birth injury.  

When is a Birth Injury the Doctor’s Fault?

​Giving birth should be a joyous time, but while many births go perfectly smooth, sometimes there are complications. Birth injuries that occur to the mother, or worse, her newborn can be traumatic and life-altering. However, something strange occurs when a birth injury happens. For some strange reason, it leaves new mothers blaming themselves. Was it something they did? Was it something they didn't do while gestating their child? Could they have done it different or better?

The truth is that a birth injury is rarely the fault of the parent and certainly not the child. However, in order to better protect themselves, your doctors may infer that it was something you did or didn't do. Yet, you had nine months to create that new life, and your OBGYN had nine months to figure out the risks, tell you about them, and do everything in their power to mitigate them. If your doctor did none of those things, then no matter what they tell you, they are responsible for your birth injuries.

Whether it was from negligence or pure malpractice, common birth injuries include:
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• Failure to diagnose a condition that resulted in harm to the mother or child
• Failure to take action to prevent harm during long deliveries
• Failure to diagnose birth defects
• Failure to react during dangerous breech birth or umbilical cord entanglement
• Failure to modify vital signs or notice and take action during abnormal factors like respiration of blood pressure

Additionally, the causes for these errors are sometimes more difficult to identify than one would initially think.  The most common medical errors that are difficult to identify in regard to childbirth cases are:

• Failure to Communicate Clearly
• Failure to Follow Correct Procedures
• Equipment or Monitor Failure
• Inadequate or Unclear Healthcare Procedure
• Failure to Adequately Train Hospital Staff
• Overtired Physicians or Understaffing

All of the above can fall into the realms of medical malpractice, but so much more can be considered as part of it as well. If you or your child suffered traumatic injury during the birthing period, contact us today to see what we can do for you.

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