How Often Does Medical Malpractice Occur in the Delivery Room?
Feb 10, 2020

What you’ll learn reading this article:

  • Unexpected birth injuries happen every day.
  • Medical malpractice in the delivery room involves preventable injuries to babies and mothers.
  • Sometimes hospital staff doesn’t act as responsibly as they should. You can sue for medical malpractice.

Soon-to-be parents daydream about their new baby’s eye color, hair color, and what it will be like to hear them giggle someday. They try not to think about all the things that could go wrong during the birth.

What if the doctor harms the baby? What if a labor and delivery nurse injures the mother? What if medical malpractice happens right there in the delivery room?

People tend to think these things just happen to others and not them, but sometimes the nightmare happens to you and your child. Hospitals are chaotic places, and there’s simply no way to completely eliminate the risk of a birth injury.

Out of every 1,000 births in the U.S., two will involve injuries due to an incident that happens at birth. While that doesn’t sound like a lot, imagine being one of those two unlucky families. Through no fault of their own, their precious baby suffers harm at the hands of medical staff.

There are Many Types of Delivery Room Injuries

Medical malpractice can happen to either the mother, the baby, or both. Injuries often happen behind closed doors while the doctor, labor and delivery nurses, anesthesiologist, and the rest of the medical team interacts with the expecting family during the birth.

An injury becomes medical malpractice when a member of the medical staff fails to provide a patient with a reasonable standard of care. Their negligence could be due to many factors, like poor training, sleepiness, being distracted, stubbornness, or sloppiness in their work. Regardless of the reason, a child suffers due to their poor care.

The main types of birth injuries that happen to children in the U.S. are:

  • Cranial bruising and bleeding
  • Brain damage
  • Clavicle and collarbone injuries
  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Facial nerve damage
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Erb’s palsy
  • Brachial plexus
  • Bone fractures
  • Nerve damage
  • Meconium aspiration syndrome
  • Preventable premature delivery
  • Forceps injuries

Mothers can also be injured in the delivery room. While a mother is giving birth, she is in a uniquely vulnerable position where she relies on the medical staff to assist her and her baby. If something goes wrong, a mother can be left with lifelong injuries just as a baby can.

  • The most common injuries to birthing mothers in the U.S. result from:
  • Failure to monitor the mother properly
  • Not identifying a condition like pre-eclampsia
  • Missing or misdiagnosing placental abnormalities
  • Delayed and failed Cesarean sections
  • Inappropriate use of forceps and other delivery tools
  • Improper administration of medications
  • Failure to respond to signs of fetal distress and/or birth complications

Why Do Things Go Wrong in Delivery Rooms?

After a traumatic birth injury, the question parents ask is, “Why?” They desperately want to know how the medical team could allow an injury to happen. What went wrong in the delivery room?

Every situation is unique, but it all comes down to negligence. Some medical professionals don’t act very professionally and don’t take their responsibility as seriously as they should. A moment’s distraction can cause a lifetime of pain.

If this happens to you and your baby, you can file a medical malpractice lawsuit and seek compensation. After all, you could be facing a lifetime of expensive medical bills for something that’s entirely not your fault. Protect your baby’s future by placing the responsibility where it belongs: on the hospital and its medical team.

Baker Law Team – Indianapolis Personal Injury Attorneys

At Baker Law Team, we are a family-run personal injury law practice. We treat every individual’s case like family. We put you at the forefront, keeping you informed so you can focus on getting yourself back together. Regardless of the reason for your injury, if someone else caused it, the only way you can recover from your medical bills and other losses is through a personal injury claim.

Baker Law Team handles many areas of personal injury law including auto accidents, medical malpractice, and wrongful death. We will fight to win your case or you pay no attorney fees at all. Contact the experienced attorneys at Baker Law Team to assist you right away. Call 317-868-2500 for a FREE CASE REVIEW.

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