Most Frequent Birth Injuries

Birth injuries are a devastating situation for both the child as well as his or her parents. While some are unavoidable, other are the direct result of negligent care. Brain Injury- One of the most common kinds of birth injury is a brain injury. A brain injury that occurs while the baby is being born is often caused by either bleeding on the brain or it is due to a lack of oxygen. Such an injury may be diagnoses as hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. When hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) does develop, the condition is life threatening and has the high potential to cause serious and permanent brain damage. Many infants exhibiting hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) will die during the newborn period. Of those hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy infants who survive, at least 25 percent will exhibit permanent neurological problems. Cerebral Palsy- One type of widely known brain injury that happens to newborns is Cerebral Palsy. This condition is the result of damage that occurred to the child's cerebrum, which is a very important part of their brain. If a child is struck with Cerebral Palsy then the baby will not have as much ability as a normal child to control his or her movements. And their mental capacity may be limited as well. Estimates indicate that approximately 10,000 babies, many born prematurely or under weight, develop cerebral palsy each year Brachial Plexus- This brain injury is actually caused by Shoulder Dystocia. This happens when the baby's shoulders get stuck in its mother's pelvis. Because the baby's neck is strained in this situation the nerves between the shoulder and the neck can get damaged. The brachial plexus is a packet of nerves vital to communications between the spinal cord and a person's shoulders, arms, wrists, and hands. While the majority of brachial plexus injuries—also referred to as Erb's palsy—are able to heal and do not require extensive treatment, badly tearing or stretching the brachial plexus can result in potentially irreparable damage.

Other Birth Injuries

Although Cerebral Palsy and Brachial Plexus are the two most widely known and most common types of birth injuries, there are other situations that can happen during childbirth that can cause ongoing problems. These injuries are typically caused by negligent care by the health care provider. They are trained in proper procedures to reduce the risks of child birth, but some times they fail to follow to them. For example, if forceps are being used to assist in the delivery, then the baby could experience bruising on his brain or scalp, or bleeding underneath his scalp and/or inside his skull. If the mother has a Type B Streptococcus virus it can be passed to her baby. Although it's harmless to the mom, it can be incredibly dangerous to a newborn child. If it is detected then it may be treated with high doses of antibiotics that are given to the mom both before as well as after the baby has been delivered.

Birth Injury Lawyer

If a baby has suffered from a significant birth injury it could result in a life altering situation. In such cases ongoing medical attention can be quite expensive. If medical malpractice was involved then the parents should contact a birth injury lawyer to represent them so that they could be compensated for their baby's injuries. That's because they will need that compensation to pay for their child's upcoming medical expenses. The Clore Law Group in Charleston SC has helped families in numerous birth injury claims. If your child suffered a birth injury, contact them today.