Category: Birth Injury

Birth injuries can result from a range of negligent actions and conduct during pregnancy, labor, and delivery – including the improper use of forceps and vacuum extractors. While both of these medical devices can assist physicians during difficult deliveries, they must be used in accordance to strict standards. When medical professionals fail to use forceps or vacuum extractors properly, they can be held liable for preventable birth injuries, including those resulting in long-term and life-altering effects on children and their families. At Shrager, Sachs, & Blanco, our Philadelphia[...]

Monitoring an unborn baby’s heart rate during labor and delivery can alert nurses and medical staff to potential complications and medical emergencies that must be promptly addressed. Should a baby’s heart rate become too high or too low, for example, it may indicate fetal distress caused by oxygen deprivation and the need for an emergency C-section. In order to ensure a baby is tolerating the birth process and identify any complications, nurses and staff use electronic fetal heart rate monitors. These devices provide readouts that must be interpreted[...]

Birth injuries and birth defects can result in permanent medical conditions that require expensive and long-term treatment for your child. Thus, pursuing compensation against the physician responsible is necessary to seek justice and obtain a financial settlement. However, parents may not be able to file a medical malpractice lawsuit for birth defects. What is the difference between a birth injury and a birth defect? Birth Injuries Occur During Labor or Delivery Birth injuries are often preventable, and have several causes. If the doctor pulls on the baby the[...]

Infections can be especially dangerous to pregnant women and their unborn child if they are not quickly diagnosed and treated. Pregnancy can make infections more severe, which makes it all the more pressing to start treatment as soon as possible. Even mild infections can cause serious complications. Learn more about the impact infections can have on pregnancy. Why Are Pregnant Women at a Higher Risk of Infection? Pregnancy affects a woman’s entire body. Changes in hormone levels and immune system function can cause women to be more vulnerable[...]

A seizure is defined as abnormal electrical discharges in the brain, which cause symptoms such as convulsions, altered consciousness, and brain disturbances. Seizures in infants can indicate neonatal brain damage has occurred. Often, they are the first sign of a birth injury. Frequently, seizures develop in babies who were deprived of oxygen during the delivery process. Many seizure-causing injuries occur near or during delivery. Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) HIE is the most common cause of neonatal seizures. This brain injury is caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain during[...]

Despite our years of technological advancement and study of the human anatomy, childbirth is still considered extremely dangerous in the United States. According to data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 600 American women lose their lives due to complications that arise either during pregnancy or the actual process of delivery. By other estimates, nearly 60,000+ other women will experience severe health complications during childbirth that require hospitalization or other treatment methods to correct. In comparison to other countries in the developed[...]

One of the most common ways for a child to be injured during birth is by an intracranial hemorrhage, or “brain bleed.” This type of trauma can occur during labor and delivery complications, often caused by the negligence of doctors or nurses during or near the time of birth. While some brain bleeds are minor and heal in a short amount of time, others can be very serious and result in permanent brain damage or other lifelong disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, seizures, or developmental and intellectual disabilities. (more…)