Birth Injuries
For a developed country, our healthcare system is failing mothers and unborn and born babies. All you have to do is look at the data. We top the development world with the highest rate of maternal deaths. That’s not a statistic any country wants. What follows is a high rate of birth injuries. Many times birth injuries are uncontrollable and happen; other times birth injuries are the direct result of negligence and in very rare cases, recklessness (or intent).
If you or your unborn/born child have suffered at the hands of medical professionals or a medical facility, we are here to help. We help you find a birth injury attorney in Los Angeles, but not just any birth injury lawyer. We locate a birth injury attorney in our network who has experience with your specific situation, and that matters because it takes insight and experience to know how best to address these very tragic and sensitive cases. We fight for the compensation that can help make your life a little easier and more manageable even though it’ll never be as you had dreamed it.
What are Common Causes of Birth Injuries in California?
Birth injuries occur in five out of every 1,000 live births in the United States. But birth injuries do not only occur during birth. A birth injury is an umbrella term for any injury that occurs in utero (the fetus or unborn baby inside the uterus), during the birthing process, or soon after birth due to medical errors and negligence (medical malpractice). Medical negligence––like birth injury––is also an umbrella term that can include any number of causes of birth injuries, as well as other types of personal injuries. Birth injuries are caused by the negligence of medical professionals or institutions and facilities, but they can also be caused by defective devices.
Below are some of the more common causes of birth injuries in California.
Birth Injuries In Utero
Causes of birth injuries related to in utero negligence often involve:
- Failure to diagnose diseases or genetic risks at all or in due time so that, for example, the expecting parents can make an informed decision about the furthering or ending the pregnancy;
- Failure to properly prescribe medications or advise against certain medications;
- Improper prenatal care;
- Infection;
- Failure to treat mother especially in high-risk pregnancies;
- Mistreatment or failure to diagnose maternal medical conditions; or
- Malpractice of any other aspect of the pregnancy, including medical procedures conducted while the mother is pregnant or failure to monitor fetal distress.
Birth Injuries During Labor
Causes of birth injuries resulting from the delivery of the baby have included:
- Oxygen deprivation;
- Trauma;
- Obstetric complications;
- Improper use of medication or tools (e.g., forceps) during labor;
- Infection;
- Delayed deliveries;
- Improper fetal monitoring;
- Improper administration of anesthesia, Pitocin, or Cytotec; or
- Defective products.
Birth Injuries After Delivery
Causes of birth injuries after the delivery can include things like:
- Improper care of a baby in the NICU;
- Improper treatment or administration of medicines; or
- Improper diagnosis of certain health conditions.
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What are Common Birth Injuries in California?
Birth injuries can be categorized according to types, and there are many types. A few of the more common include:
- Cerebral Palsy, which can be caused by oxygen deprivation, infection, or birth trauma;
- Brachial Plexus Palsy, which can be caused by vaginal deliveries with shoulder dystocia;
- Facial nerve palsy, which can be caused by nerve tears;
- Seizures/epilepsy, which can be caused by oxygen deprivation, infection, or birth trauma;
- Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE); which can be caused by oxygen deprivation;
- Fractures, like clavicle or collarbones caused by vaginal deliveries of breech babies or with shoulder dystocia;
- Cephalohematoma, which is caused by trauma and can lead to more serious complications; or
- Head trauma, which can be caused by birth trauma or birth assisting tools.
To note, accompany many of these birth injuries are intellectual and developmental disabilities that will follow the children through their lifetimes. Note that this list is not complete but only representative of more common injuries.
What are the Symptoms of Birth Injuries?
Symptoms will be specific to the cause of the birth injury, type of birth injury, and the extent of the injury. Further, symptoms can develop rather immediately or take years to surface. There are some things you can look out for, however, that may be indicative of a birth injury.
Signs of Birth Injuries During or After Birth
- Pale or bluish skin lasting longer than normal (cyanosis)
- Slow heart rate
- Resuscitation required
- Lethargy
- Stiff or floppy
- Low APGAR sores
- Poor neonatal reflexes
- Organ issues
- Seizures
- Coma
- Fractures
- Erratic eye movements
- Severe breathing problems
- Intracranial hemorrhage
- Subconjunctival hemorrhage.
Signs of Birth Injuries in Childhood
- Learning disabilities
- Behavioral issues (e.g., ADHD)
- Motor impairments
- Seizures
- Cerebral Palsy
- Sensory processing disorders
- Vision impairment
- Hearing impairment
- Speech-language disorders
- Failure to meet developmental milestones
- Chronic pain.
Who’s Responsible for Your Birth Injury in California?
The person or entity responsible for a birth injury depends on the facts and circumstances of the birth injury. The following is an incomplete list.
- Doctor
- Nurse
- Pharmacy
- Hospital
- Midwife
- Doula
- Lab technician.
There could be other responsible parties, too. Typically in birth injury cases, there are multiple defendants and an experienced birth injury attorney will be able to identify each possible defendant. Holding all relevant parties accountable and liable means you stand a better chance of recovering all damages you and your child have suffered.
Retain a Caring, Trusted Birth Injury Attorney in Los Angeles Today
Birth injuries can be some of the most devastating types of injuries that anyone has to live through. Your baby is your baby, and to know he or she was injured by the negligence of another party is hard to comprehend. We do our best to help find you one of Los Angeles’ most dedicated birth injury attorneys. You need the help of a competent, trusted attorney who will aggressively advocate your rights, investigate your case, and use all available resources to obtain the best outcome for which you could hope under such dire circumstances. Contact us today to begin your search for the right birth injury attorney in Los Angeles.
