Common Birth Injuries and How They Happen

Serious birth injuries can have long-term effects on a child, and therefore it is important that if your baby suffered an injury at birth that you understand the causes and the long-term implications. This article seeks to provide a basic overview; for more information it is always better to speak to a qualified doctor or nurse.

An unusually large infant, premature birth and breech delivery are all risk factors which could lead to birth trauma. A skilled doctor or midwife will obviously reduce the risk of these problems translating into a birth injury, however instances of medical negligence are also a major cause of serious injuries during birth. Common birth injuries to the baby include:

• Skull injuries: can be caused by cuts and abrasions and bleeding between the skull and scalp.
• Brachial plexus injuries: which occurs when the baby's anterior shoulder becomes trapped during birth (also known as shoulder dystocia).
• Injuries to the Cranial Nerve: potentially resulting in facial paralysis, eye paralysis and breathing difficulties.
• Fractures: often affecting the arm and leg bones as a result of problems during birth.

Many common birth injuries can be avoided if mother and baby are provided with good medical and maternity care. Unfortunately, instances of clinical negligence do occur, in which a doctor or nurse's behaviour or misdiagnosis is directly responsible for a serious birth injury and long term medical issues on the part of the baby.

Clinical Negligence

If your baby suffered a birth injury and you suspect that a doctor or midwife behaved negligently, whether this negligence caused a serious injury to the cranial nerve, a scalpel cut or an abrasion, it is recommended that you contact a solicitor to discuss making a medical negligence compensation claim.

Financial compensation is often awarded to parents in this situation, and is intended to help them cover the costs of ongoing medical care and rehabilitation costs. The team of clinical negligence specialists at Pannone LLP can provide all the legal advice and guidance you require to make an informed decision regarding the potential of your clinical negligence claim.

For more information, visit the Pannone website at: http://www.pannone.com/solicitors-for-you/clinical-negligence.asp