How does negligence cause a birth injury?

If you have anxiously awaited the arrival of a child, it is understandable that you have been devastated to learn of a birth injury or defect. According to the Kentucky Department for Public Health, birth defects are one of the leading causes of deaths among infants in the state. While these situations are sometimes unpreventable, they can be the result of physician negligence.

There are several ways that a medical professional or facility can commit an error that leads to a birth injury, such as the following:

• Failing to act in a timely fashion: During labor and delivery, medical staff must take the proper measures once there are symptoms of an emergency.
• Improper monitoring: Both the infant and the mother could display signs of trouble, and failing to monitor both could lead to an injury or even death.
• Mistakes during surgery or other procedures: Physicians who improperly use devices such as forceps or who perform surgery could make an error.

Negligence in these areas can be devastating. For example, an infant who suffers a lack of oxygen during birth could develop congenital cerebral palsy, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains is brain damage that can cause an inability to control muscles.

If you have experienced one of these situations or other instances of birth injury, you may want to consider your options for legal recourse. If you choose to file a lawsuit, you will have to demonstrate that a negligent act occurred and that the act caused the injury.

While this information may be useful, it should not be taken as legal advice.