Washington Birth Injury Attorneys - Lawyers Helping Families through Birth Injury Claims

A human body is rarely as vulnerable as it is during the birthing process, which means that when a child is being born, the ultimate in care must be given to that child to ensure that no unnecessary risks are taken and no injuries are incurred. Injuries suffered during birth can also be of the type that leads to a lifetime of suffering, depending on the circumstances.

Below you'll find information regarding how birth injuries occur, different types of birth injuries, examples of diagnoses as a result of birth injuries, the lifestyles that can be traced to birth injuries and how to proceed with a legal claim in Washington if your child has suffered this fate.

Causes of Birth Injuries

The best way to trace the different causes of birth injuries is to progress chronologically through the birthing process, as each phase presents different risks that medical professionals must be aware of and guard against in order to minimize the chance that something could go drastically wrong.

This process begins with the administering of medication and/or anesthesia to the mother. Different doctors and medical facilities will provide different treatment protocols for patients based on the particulars of that situation. However, the child remains very vulnerable, which means that if the wrong type of medication or anesthesia is provided or too much of it, such a mistake could lead to tragic results. These include damage to the child's brain, heart and respiratory system, and many of these birth injuries will never be cured.

During the actual birthing process, there are also risks that must be alleviated. These risks include grasping the child's head region to firmly to pull the body from the mother's birth canal, as such a mistake can lead to serious brain injuries. The medical professionals delivering the child must also guard against allowing the child to be stuck in the birth canal for too long without oxygen, as this could also lead to brain injuries.

After the birth is complete, the medical staff must make sure that the child is not left out in the cold for too long and that he or she has strong vital signs before being placed in an incubator. If these steps are not taken, innumerable complications could arise that would otherwise be avoided with proper diligence.

Types of Birth Injuries

Given the manners in which birth injuries tend to occur, it's logical to see how the most common birth injuries are recorded, as they are often the direct result of the errors described above. Below are a few examples of common types of birth injuries:
  • Cerebral Palsy - This term actually describes several different and more specific conditions, but cerebral palsy in general affects the brain, motor skills, speech and other acts that most humans take for granted.
  • Shoulder dystocia - This may not be a well-known condition, but it is dangerous. Shoulder dystocia occurs when the infant's anterior shoulder cannot pass through the birth canal without serious levels of manipulation.
  • Erb's Palsy - Erb's Palsy is a paralysis of the arm of the child caused by damage to the nerves that control the movements of that arm. This is not necessarily a lifetime condition, but can result in extensive surgery.
  • Brain injury - Brain injuries in general are not only the most common, but also the most dangerous types of birth injuries for many reasons. A brain injury can seriously impair the child's ability to develop normally in any number of ways.
  • Broken bones - If a child's body does not pass through the birth canal easily and doctors do not realize that a C-section would have been a safer option until it's too late, broken bones anywhere on the body can be the result. Broken bones on newborns are much more significant than with adults for many reasons.

Diagnoses

The diagnoses of newborns who have suffered birth injuries can range from nothing more than a few days of rest and oversight by the medical facility to risky, invasive surgery to a lifetime of rehabilitation and diminished capacities of different types. There are some infants who do not survive the birthing process as well.

Lifestyles

If an infant suffers a birth injury that can be recovered from in due time, there will likely be no real lifestyle changes to deal with. However, if an infant suffers from brain damage or cerebral palsy, he or she can expect a lifetime of struggle with basic skills, the need for special equipment to move around properly and other necessities that those who have not suffered a birth injury will not need.

Contact a Seattle Birth Injury Lawyer

Birth injury is a very real issue in Washington. If someone you love has been injured due to a mistake in the birthing process, you owe it to him or her to fight for the rights available. Contact the law firm of Phillips Webster today to schedule a free initial consultation so that you can get this process started.
 



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