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Labor and delivery can be a confusing time for mothers. There is an overwhelming sense of excitement and anticipation of holding your little one and the stress and anxiety of what to expect from the labor and delivery process. You need a team of experienced and compassionate medical professionals to guide you through the process. When these professionals deliver substandard medical care, not only does it sour the birthing process, but it can also lead to life-altering injuries for the mother and baby.
Common Delivery Mistakes and Birth Injuries
Childbirth can be a complicated process. While most deliveries progress smoothly, medical personnel are supposed to have the knowledge and skills to protect mothers and infants when complications or medical conditions arise.
Substandard medical care, which is care below the applicable medical standard, can be particularly devastating to a woman and her child during the most vulnerable time in a mother’s life: pregnancy, labor, and delivery. Labor and delivery errors can jeopardize the health and safety of the mother and baby, leading to lifelong physical and cognitive impairments. These errors can also be potentially life-threatening in cases of preterm labor or fetal distress.
Some of the most common medical errors that contribute to birth injuries during labor and delivery include:
- Failing to monitor the baby for distress or abnormalities
- Failure to monitor the mother’s health during labor and delivery
- Misdiagnosis of maternal or fetal infections
- Delay in performing an emergency C-section
- Improper use of delivery instruments (forceps or vacuum extraction)
- Medication errors
- Handling an infant too roughly during birth
These errors or mistakes may indicate that your medical team or physician provided you and your infant care that a similarly trained medical professional would not have provided under the same circumstances. If that is true, medical malpractice may have occurred.
Types of Birth Injuries Caused by Delivery Mistakes
Delivery room errors can be devastating for families because they may lead to life-long medical issues and disabilities. Some of the most common birth injuries caused by labor and delivery mistakes include:
- Cerebral Palsy
- Brachial Plexus Injuries (Erb’s palsy)
- Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)
- Brain damage
- Skull fractures
- Brain hemorrhages
If you notice that your child is not reaching significant developmental milestones in a timely manner or you suspect a labor and delivery error caused an injury to your child, talk to your doctor and contact a compassionate medical malpractice lawyer for help.
How Can a Birth Injury Lawyer Help You?
At the Law Office of Kelley J. Johnson, a compassionate birth injury lawyer will take the time to listen to your story. Our legal team wants to understand what happened and offer personalized legal representation and moral support to help you and your family pursue the justice you deserve.
If a labor or delivery error caused a birth injury, contact our office and request a free consultation to discuss your legal options. We want to help you with your birth injury claim.
