Birth Injury

Medical professionals caring for an expectant mother in labor have a responsibility to ensure the baby receives enough oxygen both during labor and after delivery. When health care providers fail in this responsibility, the consequences can be devastating to the infant and the family. Birth injuries can occur from failure to properly monitor the fetus, allowing fetal distress to continue too long or failure to take proper precautions with a premature infant.

Fetal Monitoring

Fetal monitors are used to ensure the health of the baby during birth. Strips print out the mother’s contractions and the infant’s heart rate. A lower heart rate or a lack of beat-to-beat variability can mean the baby is not getting enough oxygen. Doctors can usually prevent brain damage to the infant by swiftly delivering the baby through C-section. But if obstetricians and delivery nurses fail to notice these changes in the fetal monitor, they may be guilty of negligence and medical malpractice.

Fetal Distress and Obstetrical Care

There are many different causes of fetal distress during labor. It may be caused by a prolapsed umbilical cord, blocking blood flow and oxygen to the fetus. An umbilical cord can become wrapped around the infant’s neck or trapped between the head of the fetus and the mother’s cervix. In addition, the baby may present for birth in a breech position. There are times when the use of pitocin to induce labor can cause hyperstimulation of the uterus, resulting in fetal distress.

All these situations can deprive the infant of vital oxygen. It is vital the caregiver notice these signs and take immediate action. Otherwise, prolonged stress on the fetus increases the likely hood of birth injury and potential life-long problems for the infant and family.

Retinopathy of Prematurity

Premature infants may suffer retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) when blood vessels in the retina of the eye develop abnormally. Excess use of oxygen to treat premature infants was once a common cause of this disease, but modern monitoring systems ensure that premature infants receive appropriate levels of oxygen.

Advancements in screening and treatment ensure that most children diagnosed with ROP can avoid loss of vision or blindness. But caregivers sometimes fail to properly screen infants. A failure to diagnoses this serious problem prevents the child from receiving intervening treatment that could save the child’s vision.

If your child suffered a birth injury or other form of medical negligence, Lamothe Law Firm wants to help you find out if the injury could have been prevented. Contact us for a free evaluation of your case so we may give you the information you need about your legal rights and options.