Every year many Pittsburgh families celebrate the birth of a new baby into their lives. For close to nine months they may wait and count down the days until their baby’s due date and expectantly plan for the future they will enjoy with their new addition. A good number of the babies born in the United States are healthy infants who, after a short period of monitoring, are able to go home from their hospitals with their parents. Others, unfortunately, suffer injuries during the labor and delivery processes that leave them with medical problems to overcome.
A birth injury happens when a mother is laboring or delivering a baby. It can be caused by mistakes made by medical professionals or it can be the result of appropriate medical care given the circumstances of a birth situation. If a doctor abides by their duty of care to their patient and gives responsible, competent care during an emergency situation in a birth, and an injury results, it is not guaranteed that the injury will be compensable through a personal injury lawsuit.
Prior posts on this blog have discussed some of the possible complications that birth injuries can manifest. These can include but are not limited to paralysis or shoulder dystocia in infants, cerebral palsy or Erb’s palsy, strokes and death in mothers who suffer from unmonitored preeclampsia, and many others.
Birth injuries in newborns can leave babies with lifelong medical complications. These problems can affect the quality of their lives and may result in significant costs to their families. Individuals who are coping with birth injuries caused by medical negligence or malpractice are encouraged to discuss their options for seeking compensation for their losses.