About 7 out of every 1,000 babies in the United States are at risk of being born with some type of birth defect. When you consider the millions of babies born each year, this number becomes significant, especially since many of these injuries may be caused by medical malpractice or negligence.
In general terms, medical malpractice includes any error in a medical procedure performed by a professional. When the performance of the duties of a professional does not follow normal practices, it is presumed that he acts negligently. Common obstetric negligence includes:
- surgical errors
- misdiagnosis
- nursing mistakes
- prescription errors
A mother needs proper prenatal care to monitor the pregnancy and detect any risks or threats. If the doctor does not take the necessary measures, she can cause serious injury in childbirth. This becomes especially sensitive with respect to the child, with the unfortunately high likelihood that an injury caused by negligence will have more permanent consequences for the child.
While many injuries do not result in obvious visible signs (such as broken bones, seizures, fractures, etc.), it is wise to take abnormalities such as excessive crying, abdominal problems, or shortness of breath as signs of a possible injury. Is .
The best thing to do in these cases is to see a doctor right away, as there are other signs that the child cannot communicate with the parent, such as nausea, vision and hearing problems, or chronic pain. Some symptoms may take weeks, months or even years to appear. You can come to know about them only when your baby starts experiencing developmental problems in crawling, walking or talking.
An expectant mother and her baby are particularly vulnerable during pregnancy, labor and the postpartum period. This is why we rely on professionals such as obstetricians, nurses and anaesthetists to care for our family members. But when these professionals neglect their duties, the consequences can be dire. If you believe negligence caused birth injuries to your baby, contact us today for a free case review.