Modern medical advancements in fetal care and delivery have allowed for more successful pregnancies and child births than ever before. But even then, preventable errors during childbirth still occur. Many babies sustain injuries because of negligence. If a medical malpractice birth injury occurred while you delivered your baby, you may be entitled to compensation.
Our firm has represented many Texas families. If you suspect medical malpractice led to your child’s birth injury, get in touch with us. Contact the office of Hampton & King today and let us advocate for you.
What Is A Medical Malpractice Birth Injury?
Medical malpractice is when negligence by a healthcare professional leads substandard treatment. This results in injury to the patient. In rare cases, medical malpractice can become fatal.
A medical malpractice birth injury is the same negligence. Substandard treatment during pregnancy/delivery is malpractice. Far too often, babies face a lifetime of challenges. These include disability, pain, and cognitive delays due to negligence.
Some birth injuries are more common than others. These include:
- Cerebral palsy
- Erb’s palsy
- Facial paralysis
- Asphyxia
- Hypoxia
- Infections & more
You might be wondering. How do medical malpractice birth injuries even occur? What kind of negligence leads to birth injuries?
Unfortunately, there are many areas of care where a medical professional fails to provide standard care.
Let’s look over some of the more common areas of birth injury neglect.
Inadequate Prenatal Care
Nine months may seem like a long time. Especially to someone who’s pregnant. Between the discomfort, the inability to get proper sleep, and the frequent doctor visits, the end of the tunnel could not come fast enough. But many women find comfort in knowing they are getting great prenatal care. Unfortunately, standard care may fall through the cracks with some prenatal teams. Here’s how:
- Not screening for necessary tests including:
- Group B Strep Culture
- When left undetected and untreated, GBS may cause a severe infection to the placental tissue
- It can lead to life-threatening infections for the baby including pneumonia and meningitis
- Gestational diabetes
- A positive gestational diabetes test means extra monitoring for the mother. Blood sugar levels should be regularly checked. A change in lifestyle and diet could help keep symptoms at bay. Gestational diabetes going undetected can lead to high-weight babies. They may have difficulty passing through the birth canal leading to serious injuries.
- Mismanagement of certain conditions including preeclampsia & placenta previa.
- Not reading lab results or ultrasounds correctly. Doctors are able to learn a lot about the pregnancy and the baby through blood work and ultrasounds. Results can be misread or ignored. This could lead to complications for both the mother and the baby.
Not Opting For Necessary C-Sections
Some medical malpractice birth injuries can be avoided if the OBGYN practice recognizes the need for a c-section. Many women begin having a sense of what their birth plan is when heading into the third trimester. However, complications beyond control occur. Those birth plans may need to be substituted with safer potions. It is so important for doctors to recognize these complications and have a conversation with expectant mothers.
Here are some reasons a c-section may be necessary:
A History Of C-Sections
Many women may opt for a VBAC – a vaginal birth after a cesarean. While many facilities may be able to accommodate this, sometimes it is just too risky. Multiple c-sections lower the chances of having a successful vaginal delivery. A c-section in this case just may be the safest route.
Placental Issues & Medical Malpractice Birth Injuries
If the placenta has issues that may cause bleeding during a vaginal birth, a doctor should recommend a c-section.
Weight Issues
If your baby seems like it may be too big at the time of delivery, a c-section may be the safest way to bring your baby into the world. Otherwise complications such as shoulder dystocia may occur.
Fetal Distress
A prolonged labor could cause undue stress to a baby in the womb. In such cases, emergency c-sections are recommended.
A Medical Malpractice Birth Injury Deserves Justice
Life is unpredictable. So many things can happen during 9 months of pregnancy. And even during labor and delivery. Oftentimes these things are beyond anyone’s control. Unfortunately though, some complications occur only because your prenatal/delivery team failed to care for you following the standard.
Medical malpractice very well can lead to a birth injury that may have permanent results. If your child was a victim of a medical malpractice birth injury, let us speak up with you. Let the team of Hampton & King help you. You may be financially compensated for a medical professional’s neglect. Get in touch today.
