Common Birth Injuries

When you head to the hospital to deliver your baby, you never expect for the outcome to be anything less than a healthy bundle of joy. However, birth injuries occur in approximately every 8 out of 1,000 American deliveries. Birth injuries can be caused by a variety of factors ranging from large birth weight to medical negligence or malpractice during labor. This is a list of birth injuries that can occur in otherwise normal births.

Bruises or Swelling
Some babies experience minor birth injuries like bruising or swelling. Labor and delivery can be rough on a baby, and passing between Mom’s pelvic bones can cause bruising or swelling, typically on the face. If the use of forceps is warranted by the doctor, the instrument can also cause Baby to show signs of bruising or swelling once delivered.

Fractures
A baby can also experience bone fractures during a traumatic birth. The most commonly broken bone during delivery is the clavicle. While this fracture typically happens during a breech birth, it can also break during “normal” delivery or during a delivery that uses forceps. When a baby has a clavicle fracture, he cannot move his arm or shoulder. While the fracture typically heals quickly, it can be a cause for anxiety for new parents.

Paralysis
Facial paralysis is another type of strikingly common birth injury. Vacuum extraction or use of forceps greatly increases the risk of facial paralysis, as those methods increase the amount of pressure on the face or skull. Too much pressure can result in damaged nerves, giving Baby the inability to move all parts of the face.

Brain Injuries
In some births, Baby is deprived of oxygen during delivery. This lack of oxygen can lead to brain injury. While the severity of this injury can vary from child to child, the effects are long-lasting and can cause significant learning delays and even the need for extensive medical care throughout the child’s life.

Birth injuries can cause severe mobility issues, as well as affect quality of life for the child. If your child experienced a birth injury, you may be entitled to compensation for costs associated with the experience and with long-term medical care. Give the team at Grewer Law a call to discuss your situation. With years of experience as an attorney and experience working as a nurse in a medical setting, our team offers a unique set of skills that can skillfully wade through the medical charts and advocate for each of our clients. Don’t let your child’s birth injury go unchecked.