Birth injury is a term used to refer any injury that occurs to the baby before, during, or right after the birthing process. An injury can occur due to many reasons including oxygen deprivation, neonatal infections, mechanical force, and more.
Birth injuries usually lead to disabilities such as cerebral palsy, intellectual impairment, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, seizure disorders, and more. This may sound very traumatic to soon-to be parents, but the good news is that nearly all birth injuries are preventable.
The medical professionals involved in the birthing process can prevent birth injuries by monitoring the health of the mother and the baby, and taking prompt action when necessary.
While there are many reasons that can lead to a birth injury, most common problems occur during labor, especially when it is delayed or the nursing staff take too long.
In order to ensure that no complications occur during the birthing process, doctors should recommend various prenatal tests which will help them access the health of both the mother and the child. These tests can reveal in-depth information about different maternal conditions that can help medical professionals recognize fetal issues in a timely manner.
Throughout the pregnancy, medical professionals should keep monitoring the baby and the mother for any sort of fetal distress. This can be found by various signs such as decreased fetal movement, abnormal amniotic fluid volume, and more.
Medical professionals work closely with the mother throughout the pregnancy to ensure that the delivery of the baby is as smooth and free of injury as possible. But sometimes, due to ignorance, or any other mistakes by these professionals, can lead to injury to the mother or child.
What to do when a birth injury occurs due to medical malpractice?
Medical professionals must make sure to follow the standards of care when managing pregnancy. The health of the infant and mother must be closely monitored and the professionals must make important medical decisions with consent from the parents.
When consent is taken from one or both the parents, it means explaining the risks, benefits and any other problems that can occur during the birthing process. If any medical professional such as a doctor, nurse, or the medical institution fails to follow the basic standards of care, and this ends up causing harm to the mother or the baby, it is known as medical malpractice.
Some parents may choose to seek legal action against medical malpractice that caused an injury to their child. This is to ensure that the hospital, doctor, and nursing staff involved are held accountable for their errors.
Moreover, seeking legal help also means that you will receive the financial means to support your child who became a victim of birth injury which resulted in a life-long disability. Should you choose to go down the legal road, Miami FL birth injury attorneys may be able to help. Birth injury attorneys focus specifically on birth injury and have the required legal and medical expertise needed to fight your case.
