Miami Birth Injury Attorney

Medical negligence occurs whenever a healthcare professional’s treatment of a patient falls below the standard of care that is expected in the medical community. Common birth injuries caused by negligence include:

• Improper Forceps Use: Occasionally whenever a mother is struggling in delivering her baby, or if the baby is improperly positioned in the womb, the physician may need to use medical tools, known as forceps, to help aid in the birth. Even proper use of forceps can lead to injuries, and forceps use has been linked to cerebral palsy and other birth defects. Extreme caution must be used, as they can lead to nerve damage in the infant’s neck, chest, or head.

• Improper Vacuum Use: If the mother is struggling in delivery, a vacuum may be used to assist in helping the fetus through the birth canal. However, like forceps, injuries do occur when the vacuum is improperly used. These injuries are not just limited to the infant but can also injure the mother.

• Delay in Ordering Caesarian Section: An emergency C-section may be needed if the infant is suffering from fetal distress, including slowed heart rate or sudden drop in the mother’s blood pressure. If the physician delays the C-section, the baby may be in distress for too long, and certain birth injuries can result. If that occurs, the medical professionals who delayed in ordering the C-section may be found liable for the resulting birth injuries.

• Hypoxia: Hypoxia occurs whenever the child’s brain does not receive enough oxygen. This can occur during childbirth if the baby becomes tangled with the umbilical cord, if there is an infection in the womb or birth canal, or if there is any damage to the placenta. Hypoxia should be caught early by the medical staff since harm can occur to both the child and the mother. If the doctor fails to catch hypoxia or fails to take action to avoid harm to the child or mother, he or she can be liable for any resulting injuries.