Youngstown Birth Injury Lawyers

The birth of your child should be an exciting and wonderful time. Parents trust doctors and medical staff to ensure that the infant is delivered into the world as healthy as possible; unfortunately, oversights do happen and can result in birth injuries. Any form of harm that happens to your newborn during the delivery process is classified as a birth injury. Some birth injuries are temporary; however, if not immediately handled correctly, others can be permanent and lead to serious mental or physical handicaps.

Birth injuries can be complicated because some injuries may not be noticed for weeks or even months after they occurred. If you suspect your child has suffered a birth injury or you, have been the victim of medical malpractice or negligence, Youngstown injury lawyers at Kisling, Nestico & Redick have experience in assisting Ohio’s families to navigate the legal process and seek compensation.

Call us today at 1-800-HURT-NOW (330) 729-1090.

Common Birth Injuries

A Medscape study found an average of 6 to 8 infants per 1,000 live births sustain injuries during delivery in the US. Both children and parents suffer when birth injuries occur and the fallout can extend to other family members and friends as well.

The most common preventable injuries are:

• Brain injury – which included cerebral palsy
• Subdural hematoma – bleeding inside the brain area that compresses brain tissue
• Brachial Palsy/Erb’s Palsy – temporary or permanent nerve damage resulting in weakness or paralysis of the arm
• Paralysis
• Fractures – including skull or clavicle ones
• Shoulder dystocia
• Spinal cord damage
• Soft tissue or organ injuries
• Stillbirth

Causes of Birth Injuries

Delayed Birth – One of the main causes of birth injury. When labors last over 18 hours they are considered difficult and the compression on the brain can become too much for the baby. Signs of fetal distress may start to appear and the baby’s blood pressure may start to rise.

Oxygen Deprivation – Can happen due to the baby having underdeveloped lungs or low birth weight and can also occur from a bent or prolapsed umbilical cord. Most brain-related injuries are due to oxygen deprivation and can be mild or severe and last for only a few days or, in some cases, the baby’s entire life.

Medical Malpractice – This can result in delayed birth, blunt force trauma, or oxygen deprivation. These mistakes can occur for a variety of reasons including inattention, exhaustion, forgetfulness, or inexperience. Examples of medical malpractice are:

• Twisting or pulling the infant in an incorrect way
• Using birth-assisting tools, forceps or vacuum extraction improperly
• Failure to check for a heartbeat, or breathing
• Failure to pick up on the signs of distress
• Failure to administer medication, administering the wrong amount or wrong type of medication to the mother
• Failure to perform an emergency cesarean surgery