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Birth Injuries
Birth Injuries
Complications in the process of labor and delivery can result in a wide variety of problems for a newborn baby. These problems, known collectively as birth injuries, can be mild or severe.One major cause is oxygen deprivation, which commonly occurs when the umbilical cord is compressed or twisted in the birth process. The other main cause is mechanical trauma, which may occur when the baby assumes an unusual position at the time of birth (buttocks rather than head first, for example) or when the baby is too large to pass through the birth canal easily.
Numerous birth injuries are caused by mistakes made by doctors or hospitals during delivery. Birth injuries can occur if excessive force is applied in the delivery of a child or there is a delay in performing a necessary C-section delivery. Birth injuries can also occur if the delivery team fails to properly anticipate the size of a child, causing a turbulent delivery.
Birth injuries are most often caused by operative deliveries, whether vaginal or abdominal than spontaneous deliveries. Birth injuries have been reported to occur in 27 of 1,000 live births.
Common Birth Injuries are: Cerebral Palsy, Temporary Paralysis, Brain Damage, Erb's Palsy, Fractured Collar Bone, Klumpke's Palsy and Brachial Plexus Palsy.
The most serious birth injuries are those that affect the brain. They are caused by oxygen deprivation or bleeding within the skull or brain. These injuries vary greatly in severity. They may lead to long-term seizure disorders or cause cerebral palsy or mental retardation.
Lastly prescription medicines can often cause birth injuries. The following prescription drugs can cause birth defects: Accutane, Crestor, Cytotec, Lexapro, Paxil, Soriatane, and Terbutaline.
If you or a loved had birth complications and your child suffers from birth injuries, please fill out the form at the right for a free case evaluation by a qualified malpractice attorney.
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Elective C-Sections Associated with Breathing Problems
Dec 12, 2007 | Parker Waichman Alonso LLP
Some caesarean sections, or C-sections, may leave babies at risk for breathing problems. Today, Danish researchers revealed findings from a study that indicates that babies delivered by non-emergency caesareans sections are up to four times more likely to experience breathing problems than those babies who were delivered by vaginal birth. The finding strengthens evidence about the risk of birth injuries posed by elective caesareans, which are becoming increasingly popular around the...
Indomethacin to Treat Pre-Term Labor Linked to Cerebral Palsy, Intestinal Problems in Premature Infants
Nov 2, 2007 | Parker Waichman Alonso LLP
Indomethacin, a drug used to stop pre-term labor, has been linked to an increased incidence of birth injuries such as brain damage, including cerebral palsy, and intestinal problems in premature infants, according to new research published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The study's findings could provide new guidance to doctors on when and how to administer indomethacin to treat pre-term labor in order to avoid these drug side-effects.When a woman goes into a...
Study finds more risks to unborn in epilepsy drug Depakote
May 4, 2007 | Los Angeles Times
One in four women who took the widely used epilepsy drug valproate while pregnant gave birth to children who were mentally retarded, double the rate among women who took other epilepsy medicines, researchers said . The report, presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Boston, was the latest to document the potential dangers of valproate to the unborn. Last summer, researchers reported that 1 in 5 women who took the drug, sold as Depakote by Abbott Laboratories,...
Birth defects affect one in 17, study finds
Jan 31, 2006 | www.theglobeandmail.com
One in every 17 babies born in the world has a serious birth defect, a hidden epidemic of global proportions, according to a revealing new study.Almost eight million children annually suffer from a birth defect, including 3.3 million who die and another 3.2 million who live with severe mental and physical disabilities that often condemn them to a life of poverty and suffering."This is a serious, vastly unappreciated and underfunded public health problem," said Jennifer Howse,...
Hospital told to pay $17 mil. for brain damage
Dec 18, 2005 | Chicago Sun Times
A Cook County jury Thursday ordered St. Anthony Hospital to pay $17 million in damages to the family of a 7-year-old girl born with severe brain damage and cerebral palsy after an obstetrician delayed her delivery, lawyers for the plaintiffs said.A medical malpractice suit filed on behalf of the girl alleged the in-house obstetrician, Dr. Jacques Hercule, was negligent for waiting 20 to 25 minutes to perform an emergency Caesarean section on the girl's mother, Selene Araujo, who suffered a...
Birth Injuries
Quick Facts
Birth Injuries Reference Guide
Types of Birth Injuries
Birth Trauma
Birth Defects
Delivery Complications
Side Effects/Injuries
Cerebral Palsy
Wrongful Death
Klumke's Palsy
Brachial Plexus Palsy
Oxygen Deprivation
Mental Retardation
Related Topics
Cytotec
Cerebral Palsy
Birth Defects
Defective Drugs
Medical Malpractice
Diseases
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