Learn About Birth Injury – Causes and Types

A birth injury is physical damage a baby suffers during birth, usually as a result of complications during pregnancy, labor or delivery. An injury at birth may range from simple skin irritation to permanent paralysis as a result of brain damage. Children who sustain an injury at birth may develop deformities, limited motor or communication skills, epilepsy or cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries can have a lasting impact on not only the child, but the entire family with continuing doctor visits, therapy and rehabilitation sessions, medical bills, emotional problems and a number of other circumstances that can add stress to one's life.

A birth injury, ranging from mild to severe, is reported in 27 out of every 1,000 births, according to the March of Dimes. Although most birth injuries are due to naturally occurring circumstances, another possible cause of birth injury is medical negligence. Unfortunately, many of the devastating mistakes of medical professionals could have been prevented.

Careful planning and consideration of risk factors may help lower the number of birth injuries. The use of ultrasound technology and fetal monitoring prior to delivery reveals useful information to the physician and the patient. Trauma usually occurs during vaginal delivery, which can become disrupted by unexpected complications. When those difficulties can be anticipated, avoided or managed, the baby has a better chance of a healthy delivery.

Birth injuries that are a direct result of negligence by healthcare providers are usually caused by failure to address problems that arise during labor. Delays in medical intervention procedures, including failure to perform a caesarean section, overuse of labor-inducing drugs, misuse of medical instruments, failure to diagnose uterine rapture and even failure to anticipate complications prior to labor can often be the causes for an infant's birth injury. Serious types of birth trauma can lead to nerve and brain damage. In extremely rare cases, birth injury can lead to death.

Significant birth injury cases account for two percent of infant deaths in the United States, according to the Cerebral Palsy Network Organization. In general, large infants and premature babies are more likely to die from birth trauma.

Parents whose child is a victim of a serious birth injury are usually faced with years of high-cost medical treatments and care. If you suspect that a birth injury may have been the fault of a doctor, a nurse or any other medical personnel, you may be entitled to compensation for all birth injury-related costs. A personal injury attorney who is familiar with malpractice laws may be able to help you determine the best course of action.

During a birth injury lawsuit, birth injury attorneys try to recover compensation for two types of damages: economic damages, which include medical bills and costs for any future treatment and damage; and emotional damages, which try to compensate for “pain and suffering,” mental and emotional anguish, physical impairment and disfigurement. In any case, birth injury lawsuits require knowledgeable attorneys who are sensitive to the needs of the family.