Common Birth Injuries - Cerebral Palsy, Erb’s Palsy and Brain Damage | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

The birth of a baby should be one of the happiest days of your life. However, in some instances, this day can be marred by an act of carelessness, negligence, or medical malpractice on account of your doctor, a nurse, or the hospital. These incidents of birth injury medical malpractice can change your life and the life of your new child forever, leading to paralysis, nerve damage, permanent disability, and even death.

These birth injuries can happen for any number of reasons:

  • Your doctor could delay a decision, such as the decision to perform a c-section, endangering your unborn baby.
  • The hospital could fail to detect an infection in either the mother or the baby.
  • Your doctor could misuse medical equipment, such as the forceps or vacuum extractor, during your labor.
  • A doctor or nurse could misread the fetal monitor or use the fetal heart rate monitor incorrectly.
  • A doctor gives you an incorrect dose of mediation or gives you Pitocin at an inappropriate time.
  • A mistake could be made during your newborn son’s circumcision surgery.
  • A doctor or nurse could ignore or overlook an umbilical cord problem, such as when the umbilical cord becomes wrapped around a baby’s neck.
  • A mistake can occur during the care of the infant in the hours and days after it’s birth at the hospital.

Here is additional information concerning serious birth injuries:

These mistakes can lead to a number of injuries. Incorrect use of forceps could lead to nerve damage and varying degrees of paralysis in the face, shoulders, and arms (cerebral palsy). Erb’s palsy occurs when nerve damage causes problems with moving the arms and hands. If the baby suffers from blood loss or lack of oxygen to the brain, it could result in permanent brain damage.