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How Do I Know If My Baby Has Birth Injuries?
Sometimes, doctors can spot birth injuries right after a baby is born. However, some do not reveal themselves immediately. It may take months or years for some symptoms to appear. By that time, you may not associate your child’s issues with a birth injury. Cerebral palsy and brachial plexus injuries are among the most common birth injuries, and it is important for parents to know the signs to watch for.
If you do not discover your child’s birth injuries for years, you may wonder if you can still file a medical malpractice claim seeking compensation. In most instances, you can. The best way to verify your eligibility is to call our office to speak with one of our knowledgeable Chicago, IL birth injuries lawyers.
How Do Doctors Test for Birth Injuries When a Baby Is Born?
Physicians may use a variety of tests to check a baby’s condition soon after delivery. The Apgar test evaluates breathing, skin color, reflexes, pulse, and muscle tone. A score of 7-10 is considered normal. The Apgar test is usually performed at one minute and five minutes after the baby is born. This fast evaluation can indicate if there are issues with the newborn’s health.
What Long-Term Effects Can Maternal Birth Injuries Cause?
When most people hear the term "birth injuries," they think about harm caused to the newborn. While many cases do involve birth injuries like cerebral palsy, meconium aspiration, and shoulder dystocia, mothers can also sustain injuries during childbirth.
Some of these maternal wounds heal over time, but others can have disastrous long-term consequences. Not all maternal injuries are preventable. However, if your injury was caused by medical negligence, our knowledgeable Chicago maternal injuries attorneys will fight to secure maximum compensation on your behalf.
What Are Some of the Most Common Maternal Injuries?
Mothers can experience both physical and psychological injuries that stem from labor and delivery. Vaginal and perineal tears are common, particularly for first-time mothers. Some tears are minor, but deeper ones can affect muscles and other surrounding tissues. These tears typically result from the baby’s head being too large or the mother’s vaginal walls not stretching enough. An episiotomy is a surgical incision that addresses these issues and typically does not cause severe or lasting damage, but even an improperly performed episiotomy can cause complications. Surgery may be necessary to repair these tears.
Are Congenital Disorders the Same as Birth Injuries?
Sadly, not every child is born healthy. Some conditions result from developmental abnormalities, but others are caused by a medical provider’s negligence. Either situation is tragic, but a medical malpractice claim could provide you with compensation in birth injury cases. Understanding the difference is important, and our knowledgeable Chicago birth injuries attorneys are happy to answer your questions during a free and confidential consultation.
What Is the Difference Between Birth Injuries and Birth Conditions?
Congenital anomalies often develop in the first trimester of a pregnancy. Some of these birth conditions are caused by genetics and external factors, while others have no apparent cause. External factors likely to cause birth abnormalities include smoking, drug or alcohol use, and some maternal conditions. Common congenital disorders include cleft palate or lip, Down syndrome, ear and eye defects, muscular dystrophy, and heart and neural tube defects.
If My Baby or I Was Harmed by a VBAC, Can I Sue?
In 2023, C-section deliveries accounted for 32.3 percent of live births in the U.S. That same year, 15.1 out of 100 live births were by vaginal birth after a Cesarean (VBAC). A C-section delivery may be medically necessary for various reasons. That does not necessarily mean that subsequent deliveries would require that surgery. However, there are known risks associated with a VBAC. Uterine rupture is the most common, and that can harm both mother and child.
If medical negligence caused your or your baby’s injuries, you may be entitled to compensation. Any kind of medical malpractice case is complex, but our skilled Chicago, IL maternal and birth injuries lawyers can help.
Can I Sue for Harm Caused by My Baby’s Shoulder Dystocia?
The human birth canal is relatively narrow, but a baby’s entire body must pass through it during a vaginal delivery. In a normal birth, the baby’s head emerges first, followed by one shoulder, then the other. The baby’s body passes between the mother’s pubic bones during delivery, but in some cases, one or both of the baby’s shoulders become stuck in that area. Known as shoulder dystocia, this medical emergency requires immediate intervention to prevent harm to the mother and child.
Medical staff should know shoulder dystocia risk factors and be prepared to take appropriate action if the child’s shoulders become lodged during labor and delivery. If you or your child is harmed by shoulder dystocia because of a medical error, our experienced Chicago, IL birth injuries attorneys can help you pursue maximum compensation.
Can I Sue If My Baby’s Breech Position Was Mishandled?
When babies are ready to be born, their heads are usually the first through the birth canal. However, some babies do not make it into the correct position. A breech position places the baby’s buttocks, feet, or knees at the entrance to the birth canal rather than the head. The risk of complications is high, so doctors and midwives must follow specific procedures.
If healthcare providers did not follow those procedures and you or your child was harmed, one of our experienced Chicago, IL birth injury lawyers can hold them accountable and help you pursue the compensation you deserve.
Can a Doctor Tell If a Baby Is Breech?
A baby’s position tends to change during pregnancy. Ultrasounds, physical exams, and feeling the mother’s abdomen should help medical professionals determine the baby’s position as it grows. If the fetus does not turn by itself into the proper birth position as the due date nears, your obstetrician should monitor you and the baby closely. He or she should explain the possible treatment options to keep you from experiencing undue complications and injuries.
What Is Obstetric Gaslighting in Birth Injury Cases?
The term "gaslighting" is usually associated with personal and romantic relationships. It describes a type of psychological manipulation aimed toward making the victim question their reality, perceptions, and sanity. Although medical gaslighting is a newly coined term, it describes a similar dismissiveness by doctors that has existed for a long time. Although a patient shares concerns with the physician, those concerns are dismissed as invalid and unworthy of exploring.
Sadly, women’s concerns are often downplayed. Obstetric gaslighting can cause both birth and maternal injuries. If your healthcare team dismissed your concerns and that dismissal resulted in harm, a skilled Chicago, IL birth injury lawyer can help you substantiate your claim and maximize your compensation.
Are Medical Professionals Biased Against Women?
Historically, women’s complaints about health issues are often brushed off. Alternative explanations, like hormone fluctuations and mental health conditions, are often assumed to be the cause. Men who report similar symptoms are usually taken more seriously.
How Can Epidural Errors Harm Mothers and Babies?
Natural childbirth is notoriously quite painful. Many expectant mothers prefer to skip the pain by receiving anesthesia through an epidural. Many C-section deliveries also use epidurals. Used in the obstetrics field since as early as 1931, around 75 percent of U.S. women use epidural anesthesia during childbirth. When administered properly, mothers should not have lasting side effects. However, epidural errors can harm both mother and baby.
If your family was harmed by avoidable epidural errors, you could be entitled to compensation. Working with a skilled Cook County, IL maternal injuries lawyer can increase your likelihood of receiving as much as you deserve.
What Are Common Epidural Errors?
Anesthesiologists or certified registered nurse anesthetists are usually responsible for administering and monitoring epidurals. Various mistakes can be made with medication, placement, and monitoring, including:
March Is Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month
Cerebral palsy (CP) is an umbrella term for a group of developmental disorders that affects roughly 1 in 323 U.S. children. Congenital CP cases are the most common, when brain damage affects a baby during pregnancy or childbirth. The effects on children with CP can be mild, moderate, or severe, with some children developing multiple symptoms.
Several known risk factors are associated with CP. Competent medical providers are expected to understand and identify those risks and take extra precautions when they are present. If medical negligence caused your child’s cerebral palsy, you may be entitled to compensation. One of our knowledgeable Chicago, IL birth injury attorneys can evaluate your case and fight for the maximum compensation you deserve.
How Can a Baby’s Birth Injuries Impact Parental Emotions?
Expectant parents often daydream about what their child will be like. From imagining playing with your baby to picturing them as they grow, you probably have high expectations for things you can barely wait to see unfold. When your newborn has a birth injury, your excitement can come to a screeching halt as you realize how significantly your life may have changed.
Along with obvious concern for your child, you may be dealing with overwhelming emotional trauma. Mothers are more likely to experience postpartum depression, but fathers can be devastated as well. If your baby’s birth injury is the result of medical negligence, you may be entitled to various forms of compensation. However, you have a much better chance of collecting the maximum amount if you choose a skilled Chicago, IL birth injury attorney to handle your medical malpractice claim.
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