(845) 802-0047When a child is stuck in the birth canal, it means that the mother’s pelvis is not large enough for the baby’s shoulders to pass through, and the baby’s shoulders are the widest part of the body. If the shoulders get stuck in the pelvis, it means that there is a problem. The doctors could use different maneuvers to try to deliver the baby. The most common is called the McRoberts maneuver in which they try to turn the baby to a different position to free up space to get the baby out of the birth canal. If too much pulling movement is used by the care provider in pulling the baby’s head, it could result in a shearing or stretching of the baby’s brachial plexus, the nerves in their arm.
Doctors’ negligence in Hudson Valley Erb’s palsy cases could be grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit. If you are concerned that the doctor may have caused your child’s Erb’s palsy, you should speak with a skilled birth injury attorney about your case. They could help you evaluate the evidence and fight for compensation.
Timeframe for Notifying the Parents of Erl’s Palsy
There is not a specified timeframe within which health providers must notify the parents. Typically, the diagnosis is made shortly after the delivery, because the care providers may notice in the nursing care room that the child is not moving their arm. There would be an examination by the pediatrician of the child’s movement of extremities. Oftentimes, if there is a difficult delivery, it may be a sign that there could be Erb’s palsy, and the doctor and nurses would be looking for it in that case.
Establishing Negligence
A doctor could be found negligent if a child is diagnosed with Erb’s palsy if there is evidence that the doctor applied excessive lateral traction. Oftentimes, it is something that the people present at the labor and delivery would see was done. Sometimes it would be documented in the physician’s delivery note that they applied moderate or some degree of lateral traction. If there are independent witnesses present, such as family members who see the pulling on the baby’s head, that would be evidence that the doctor applied too much pulling that caused Erb’s palsy. Speak with a seasoned lawyer about establishing doctors’ negligence in Hudson Valley Erb’s palsy cases.
What Are Some Ways of Avoiding Erb’s Palsy?
In situations where the baby gets stuck in the birth canal, there are ways doctors could avoid the potential for Erb’s palsy to happen. The most common maneuver the doctor, nurse, or midwife would apply is called McRoberts. They would put their hand inside the mother and turn the baby to a different position to try to free up more space for the baby’s shoulders to come through the birth canal. That is the most common method. There are other methods that are applied and all involve trying to free up space so the baby could fit.
How Are Potential Erb’s Palsy Cases Assessed?
One of the most important factors in assessing a case like this is whether the mother has had a prior problem delivering children vaginally. If the mother has had issues in the past delivering vaginally, it is a sign that her birth canal is not adequate in shape or size to deliver babies and the doctors should consider that as a factor. This means that future deliveries could be a problem because the mother’s pelvis is not large enough to deliver a baby.
Another issue to look at is called gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes that the mother only has during her pregnancy. The reason why that is so important is because gestational diabetes increases the risk of having a large baby. Week by week the baby’s size should be growing at about the same rate, but some babies grow much larger than expected. When this occurs, the baby is considered large for gestational age. This is common with gestational diabetes. If the mother is diagnosed with gestational diabetes during her pregnancy, the risk of Erb’s palsy rises.
Contact a Birth Injury Attorney in Hudson Valley
If you are concerned that your child’s Erb’s palsy was caused by a doctor’s misconduct, you should contact an experienced medical malpractice lawyer as soon as possible. Doctors’ negligence in Hudson Valley Erb’s palsy cases could mean the parents are entitled to compensation. Seek the services of an attorney today to discuss your legal options.