Learning that your child has suffered a birth injury in New York City can be devastating. Many birth injuries can lead to long-term medical complications that require expensive medical treatment. Some birth injuries are immediately obvious and require a longer stay in the hospital. Other birth injuries do not become noticeable until months, or in some cases, years, after the birth injury occurred. For example, the extent of a person’s developmental disabilities may not become apparent until a child is in first or second grade at school. The following medical conditions are common birth injuries that occur in New York City.
Brain Injuries Caused During Birth
When a brain is deprived of oxygen, it can become damaged incredibly quickly. Infants can suffer brain injuries when medical professionals do not realize that they are in distress or do not react in time to deliver them as quickly as possible. Sometimes, medical professionals fail to recognize that the umbilical cord is wrapped around a baby’s neck, causing a lack of oxygen flow to the baby’s brain. When a baby’s brain is deprived of oxygen, the following types of birth injuries can happen:
- Brain ischemia occurs when the brain is cut off from nutrients and oxygen supply
- A brain hemorrhage occurs when blood vessels leak into the baby’s brain
- When the brain reacts to being deprived of oxygen, electrical responses can impair brain function. Cerebral palsy and seizures can result
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy is the most well-known and common brain injury related to birth. Cerebral palsy affects approximately 800,000 children in the United States. Nearly 8,000 to 10,000 new cerebral cases become diagnosed every year. Infant stroke, oxygen deprivation, and maternal infections can cause cerebral palsy. In some cases, there is no known cause for cerebral palsy. However, in many cases, medical malpractice may have caused the oxygen deprivation that resulted in the brain injury and cerebral palsy.
Physical Birth Injuries
While cerebral palsy is a brain injury that can affect muscle use, other birth injuries are solely related to physical impairment. Erb’s palsy is a common birth injury. Damage to the nerves of the children are the most common symptoms of Erb’s palsy. Severe Erb’s palsy cases result in the total paralysis of the arm that is affected.
Shoulder dystocia is another common birth injury. When the baby’s head becomes trapped behind the mother’s pelvic bone, doctors may pull too hard on the baby, causing shoulder dystocia. Shoulder dystocia can cause uterine rupture, maternal bleeding, breathing difficulties for the baby, cerebral palsy, bone fractures, and, in severe cases, death.
Our New York City Birth Injury Lawyers can Help
If your child suffered a birth injury in New York City, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact the experienced birth injury lawyers at Pulvers Thompson today to schedule your initial consultation.
