Bringing home a new member of the family for the first time is a joyous experience that changes your life forever. But for many families across New Jersey it’s also a time of worry over complications from a difficult birth for many parents.
When this happens, the most important thing to not interrupt the beautiful memories being made is to know that everything will be taken care of as well as it possibly can be. If the newborn’s condition is the result of medical malpractice on the part of the OB/GYN, compensation to cover the cost of treatment is not only your right, it can help ease the worries and help you to focus on the joy of your new arrival.
Some birth injuries are common
Many birth injuries are preventable in delivery. One of the most common is shoulder dystocia, a condition which results from baby’s shoulder being wedged in the birth canal, behind the pelvic bone. This happens in thousands of births every year and it requires immediate attention. Failure by the delivering physician to keep calm and correct the position of the baby results in thousands of shoulder dystocia injuries every year.
If this complication arises during deliver, you should be told about it. Common symptoms are nerve damage to your baby’s arms or hands, leaving them partially paralyzed. If you notice any symptoms like this you need to speak to your doctor right away to find out what happened during delivery. Erb’s palsy and other forms of nerve impairment are not always immediately apparent. The disability may not be diagnosed until months later.
Warning signs
There are warning signs for shoulder dystocia which should be noted before and after birth. These include:
- A large baby
- Gestational diabetes
- Induced labor
- Birth after the due date
- The need for intervention during birth, such as unplanned C-section, suction or forceps
The last part is the most important for you to know. If you do see signs of problems like paralysis and there was intervention during birth it may be a red flag that there was a serious complication.
Costs for care are high
Many times such birth injuries can be repaired with surgery or therapy. But the costs of these treatments are going to be high and need to be covered. There may even be a lifetime of remediation ahead.
That is why medical malpractice action can be critical for your baby’s good health. You want the very best for your child no matter what. When there are mistakes during delivery, such as not appropriately correcting a shoulder dystocia, it is vital to have the resources to do whatever is needed.
Know the situation and your rights
If you are concerned that there were complications during birth, your best tool as your baby’s first advocate knowledge. Make sure you know just what happened during delivery, and if there are concerns seek additional help.
You are not alone. Many children have birth injuries, and sometimes they can be taken care of with decisive action. If the injuries are the result of improper procedures or not watching the warning signs the costs of the very best care might be offset by appropriate legal action.