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Recent Blog Posts
Low-Income Illinois Mothers Can Benefit From Extended Medicaid Coverage
As we have discussed in past blogs, the United States has a troublingly high rate of maternal mortality when compared to other high-income countries, with around 700 maternal deaths each year. The problem is especially prevalent among Black, Latino, and other low-income communities in which mothers have difficulty accessing quality healthcare. Fortunately, the State of Illinois has recognized that financial support for mothers and infants can help to combat this problem, and has recently taken action to extend Medicaid benefits for those in need.
The Benefits of Therapy for Children With Cerebral Palsy
If your child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP) due to a birth defect or birth injury, they may face many challenges throughout their life, including impaired physical strength and coordination, limited communication abilities, mental health struggles, and difficulty completing tasks at school, at work, and in their day-to-day life. However, there are treatments available to help your child cope with these challenges, including various forms of therapy. As you search for ways to help and support your child, you should consider the benefits that therapy may offer.
Different Types of Therapy
Therapy gives your child the opportunity to work with specialists who can help them develop abilities and skills to address the different kinds of challenges they may face. Depending on the nature of your child’s condition, they may benefit from some or all of the following:
Examples of Medical Negligence After the Birthing Process
Labor and childbirth is an extremely stressful process, with a variety of possible risks of injury to the mother and child. In some cases, the risk of injury or health complications may still be present after the birth is complete. Doctors and other healthcare professionals are responsible for keeping a close eye on new mothers and babies to provide any necessary care and treatment. However, these professionals sometimes make mistakes, and unfortunately, medical negligence can have long-lasting consequences.
Medical Errors Soon After Childbirth
It is not uncommon for a mother or newborn to experience some health complications after childbirth, especially if the baby was born prematurely or there were difficulties during the birth. In many cases, healthcare providers are able to attend to these complications and ensure that the mother and child are back to full health before leaving the hospital. However, it is also possible for a care provider to cause or contribute to further complications through one of the following errors:
How Can C-Section Deliveries Cause Injuries to the Mother and Child?
The process of labor and childbirth is complicated, and it can be influenced by many factors, including the mother’s health and the development of the fetus. In many cases, vaginal deliveries are not possible, and doctors must make an important decision to proceed with a Cesarean delivery, or C-section, at the right time. However, Cesarean deliveries can be risky, and unfortunately, both the mother and child can suffer injuries due to improperly timed deliveries and other medical errors.
Common Injuries Related to C-Section Procedures
A C-section is a surgical procedure, and as with other types of surgeries, there is a possibility of error on the part of the operating doctor or other health care providers who are involved in the process. Mothers and babies could suffer a variety of injuries during or after the C-section, including:
How Can Parents Support a Child With Cerebral Palsy?
All expecting parents hope for a child who is healthy, but the reality is that many children are affected by chronic health conditions from birth or soon after. If your child is diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP), whether due to a birth injury or complications during pregnancy or labor, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by your concerns for their health and your ability to provide for their needs. Caring for a child with CP is undoubtedly a demanding responsibility, but the following tips may help you manage it.
Educate Yourself About Your Child’s Condition
All cerebral palsy cases are related to brain damage early in the child’s life, but there are several different forms of CP that manifest themselves in different ways, potentially affecting a child’s balance, coordination, and muscle movements in different parts of the body. You can support your child by talking with their health care providers and doing your own research to better understand how the condition affects your child specifically. Increasing your understanding will help you better provide for your child’s needs and make informed decisions about their care and treatment.
Common Maternal Injuries Related to Forceps Assisted Births
Childbirth is often a difficult process for both the mother and the child, especially when the child is having difficulty traveling through the birth canal. In these cases, a doctor may recommend the use of forceps to guide the baby’s head and assist with the delivery. However, an error in the use of forceps can cause serious injuries not only to the child, but to the mother as well. If you have been injured while giving birth to your child, you may have a claim for compensation based on medical negligence.
Maternal Injuries From Forceps Use
The use of forceps during childbirth is a very delicate procedure, and even a minor error could have serious consequences. Some possible maternal injuries and health complications related to forceps use include:
Common Forms of Upper Body and Head Trauma During the Birthing Process
Many birth injuries to infants are related to complications with prolonged or induced labor, health complications with the mother, or the child’s lack of oxygen. However, some injuries are the result of direct physical trauma to the child during extraction.
These injuries commonly affect a child’s head, neck, spine, and upper body, and they tend to be more common when doctors use vacuum extraction or forceps to assist with the delivery. If your child has suffered one of the following traumatic injuries, the Birth Injury Law Alliance can help you determine how to proceed.
Birth Injuries to the Head and Upper Body
All of the following injuries can occur due to trauma during childbirth:
- Skull fractures - Minor skull fractures often heal without complications. However, more serious fractures, including depressed fractures that compress the brain, can lead to brain damage and long-term health conditions.
What Are the Possible Effects of Birth Asphyxia?
Childbirth is a complicated process with many possible dangers for both the child and the mother. A serious problem that some newborns experience is birth asphyxia, a condition in which the infant cannot obtain sufficient oxygen during or after birth. Birth asphyxia can have many different causes, including problems with the placenta or umbilical cord, or complications with prolonged labor. If asphyxia affects your child, it is important to understand what this could mean for their health in both the short and long term.
Short-Term Symptoms and Effects
When a child is born, doctors use what is known as an Apgar score to gauge the baby’s health. To determine this score, doctors look for several indicators, including the child’s appearance, heart rate, reflexes, muscle activity, and breathing. Asphyxia can affect almost all of these indicators. For example, an infant who suffers from asphyxia often has discolored skin, a low pulse, and difficulty breathing. In most cases, doctors can recognize the symptoms of asphyxia and take action to address it as quickly as possible.
What Birth Injuries Could Be Caused by Inducing Labor?
Timing is a critical issue in a baby’s birth. When labor is not progressing normally, doctors may need to induce or speed up labor using various medical techniques. Unfortunately, labor induction is not without its risks. Mothers and babies can suffer birth injuries when labor is not induced properly, labor is prolonged, or the doctors fail to recognize the need for an emergency C-section.
Why Would a Doctor Induce Labor?
Labor induction involves various methods that stimulate uterine contractions and speed up the birth of a baby. A doctor might recommend labor induction when a pregnant woman is more than two weeks overdue, or medical concerns make induction the safest choice. Placental abruption, gestational diabetes, infections, and pre-labor rupture of membranes may all cause a doctor to recommend labor induction. Doctors have a legal “duty of care” to provide reasonably skillful medical care to patients. This includes thoroughly assessing the situation and determining what course of action is in the mother and baby’s best interests. If the risks associated with labor induction are lower than the risks of continuing without inducing labor, the doctor will suggest labor induction.
Can I Get Social Security Benefits for My Child With CP?
As a parent, your child’s cerebral palsy (CP) diagnosis can be cause for serious concern, both regarding their well-being and your ability to provide for the costs of their treatment and care. If the condition was caused by a birth injury related to medical negligence, you may be able to recover compensation from the parties at fault. However, given the immediacy of your child’s needs and the sheer magnitude of the expenses you are likely to face over time, it is understandable that you would look to other sources of financial assistance. One possible source of help for some parents is Social Security benefits.
Supplemental Security Income for Children With Cerebral Palsy
The U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) offers disability benefits through a couple of different programs. The program that most often helps families of children with CP is Supplemental Security Income (SSI). For a child to be eligible for SSI, they must have a qualifying disability and limited financial resources.
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