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Birth Injury Litigation. What You Should Know.

Written by: Ian Robert Alexander

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Posted over 2 years ago. Applies to Illinois, 0 helpful votes, 0 comments

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Birth injuries In General

Advancements in medical science like fetal monitoring have contributed significantly to a decrease in infant morbidity and mortality. In fact, between 1970 and 1985 the incidence of infant deaths due to birth injury decreased by 88 percent. Fewer than 2 percent of neonatal deaths are now attributed to birth injury in the United States. Nevertheless, a shocking number of children are injured each year during labor & delivery. According to the March of Dimes more then 150,000 children are born injured each year. Often times these injuries are completely avoidable and preventable. Doctors and Hospitals may fail to appropriately monitor the progress of labor and fail to preform a cesarean section in a timely manner when faced with fetal distress. If you suspect that your child was injured due to negligence, contact a birth injury lawyer.

Factors That Can Lead To Birth injury

Factors that can lead to birth-related difficulties might include the following: Size (more than 8 pounds, 13 ounces) Position Premature birth (before 37 weeks) because premature babies are very fragile Cephalopelvic disproportion (when the size and shape of the mother's pelvis make vaginal birth difficult) Difficult labor or prolonged labor Abnormal positioning of the baby Instrumental deliveries, especially those that involve forceps and vacuum extraction Excessive traction during delivery Additional factors like low Apgar scores, low cord blood pH levels and seizures immediately following delivery might also be an indication of a birth injury caused by medical negligence.

Cerebral Palsy

Children who have sustained birth injuries are often born later diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. Cerebral palsy is a neurological disorder that appears after birth during early childhood and affects motor function and movement. Cerebral palsy is often caused by a lack of oxygen to the fetal brain during labor and delivery . Common symptoms of cerebral palsy include: Lack of muscle coordination (ataxia) Stiff muscles Uncontrolled reflexes (spasticity) Dragging one leg Walking on the toes Awkward gait Muscle tone that is stiff or too loose