Top Three Worst Birth Injuries: New York Medical Malpractice Lawyer

New York Medical Malpractice Lawyer Shares the Top Three Worst Birth Injuries

Birth injuries are some of the worst types of New York medical malpractice.  This is because the victims, newborns or even babies not born yet, are dependent on healthcare professionals to help protect their health and safely bring them into this world.  When a newborn does not have a fair chance at life, it could be catastrophic for that baby and an entire family.  There are many types of birth injuries our New York medical malpractice lawyer may handle, but there are three which really stand out.

As a caveat to this list of three, of course birth injuries caused by scalpel errors, dropped babies, or other intentional or very reckless conduct could be worse.  But this list of the three worst types of birth injuries is aimed at the most general types that you may not have normally thought about but are quite horrible.  This list is about routine and common mistakes which can quickly be fatal.

1) Improper extraction/delays in C-Section – I group these two together because they go together in a way.  Many times when a newborn is injured due to improper extraction with the use of forceps or a vacuum extractor, it is because that newborn should never have been tried to be delivered naturally.  That is, the OB-GYN, family care practitioner, or nursing staff should have known to avoid a natural delivery and opt for the safer c-section.  Yes, a c-section is a traumatic surgery for the mother and baby, but it is sometimes necessary to ensure that the baby is born healthy and injury free.  This is why injuries due to forceps or vacuums may be due to more than just improper use, but also due to delays in a c-section.  The reason why a delay in a c-section could be so dangerous is that there could be pressure on the baby which results in hypoxic or lack of oxygen conditions.  This could cause significant brain injuries and damage which result in cerebral palsy and over horrific injuries.

2) Failure to Diagnose a Condition – The failure to diagnose a condition in a newborn is catastrophic.  The most common failure which can be fatal even within 24 hours is bacterial meningitis.  The failure to diagnose this condition can cause a wrongful death within days, even though the treatment might be as simple as antibiotics, body temperature control, and fluids.  Another dangerous condition is kernicterus, which is when jaundice in a baby is allowed to exist for too long and it actually creates a toxic and caustic environment in the brain.  This clearly can cause horrific injuries to a baby.

3) Umbilical Cord Issues – Let’s face it, the umbilical cord is literally the only thing keeping a baby alive inside of the womb.  Yes, the baby will begin to beat its heart and start organ function.  But the umbilical cord is what provides diffused oxygen, nutrients, and other important supplies to the baby, as well as filtering out waste products.  When the umbilical cord is prolapsed, damaged, folded, compressed, or otherwise compromised in any way, it is a clear sign that there will also be damage to the baby.  Monitoring and identifying umbilical cord issues is imperative to the safety of a baby, and rectifying those issues immediately is crucial.

Shouldn’t healthcare professionals who fail to guard against these issues be liable for birth injuries?  Of course!  But they will argue that they are not liable and should not be liable.  Isn’t that what we pay them to do?!

But what do you think?  I would love to hear from you!  Leave a comment or I also welcome your phone call on my toll-free cell at 1-866-889-6882 or you can drop me an e-mail at jfisher@fishermalpracticelaw.com.  You are always welcome to request my FREE book, The Seven Deadly Mistakes of Malpractice Victims, at the home page of my website at www.protectingpatientrights.com.