After waiting nine long months to meet your newborn baby, generally, your only hope is for him or her to be born healthy. Unfortunately, sometimes the negligent actions of a medical professional can crush this hope, resulting in injuries to your newborn baby. While some of these injuries are minor, others can be more severe and potentially life-altering. However, regardless of how minor or severe they might be, injuries caused by medical negligence should never occur. If you believe your baby sustained injuries due to substandard medical care, contact a skilled medical malpractice attorney as soon as possible to ensure you are able to obtain the fair and just compensation you deserve.
Below is a list of some of the most common birth injuries caused by medical negligence:
- Brachial plexus injuries: These injuries include Klumpke’s palsy and Erb’s palsy, which occur when the nerves responsible for moving the hands and arms of a baby are injured. Brachial plexus injuries commonly happen when a physician pulls too forcefully or incorrectly during the delivery process, resulting in damage to the brachial plexus.
- Paralysis of the face: When an infant is being delivered, his or her face might experience too much pressure, causing damage to the nerves. This commonly occurs when a physician uses forceps or a vacuum extraction tool to deliver the baby. Generally, the symptoms of facial paralysis can resolve on their own within a matter of weeks, but if it is too severe, this could lead to complete paralysis on the side of the affected face.
- Brain injuries: When oxygen deprivation occurs during the delivery process, this can result in a vast array of problems, the most severe of which is a brain injury. A brain injury in an infant can cause chronic seizures, cerebral palsy, and a whole host of other medical disorders. These types of injuries tend to happen when a physician does not adequately monitor an infant after birth or when there are issues involving the umbilical cord.
- Fractures: The most common type of fracture that occurs during the delivery process is to the clavicle, which can be sustained when the overseeing physician pulls too hard on the baby when it is in the breech position. Fractures can also occur when the shoulder is pulled with too much force during a long and difficult delivery.
- Cephalohematoma: This injury causes bleeding beneath the cranium and typically appears several hours after birth in the form of a raised bump atop the baby’s head. The use of birth assistance tools is the most common cause of this injury. In many cases, the bump clears up within about three months, though it is still possible for a baby with this injury to develop other complications, such as anemia, jaundice, hypotension, and meningitis.
- Caput succedaneum: This common injury is marked by the swelling of the tissues in a baby's scalp and occurs when the vacuum extraction tool is used incorrectly. Swelling tends to clear up within days after the injury.
SKILLED BIRTH INJURY ATTORNEYS IN TULSA, OKLAHOMA
If your baby is exhibiting symptoms or signs of a birth injury, it is imperative that you seek knowledgeable and aggressive legal representation from a medical malpractice attorney. At Richardson Richardson Boudreaux, PLLC in Tulsa, our team of medical malpractice attorneys is dedicated to fighting on behalf of those who have been wrongfully injured. Backed by more than 100 years of collective legal experience, you can trust that your case will be in good hands with us.
Begin your birth injury lawsuit today and reach out to our law firm at 918-492-7674 to request a free initial case evaluation with one of our knowledgeable attorneys.