Many expecting parents have a lot of excitement when they think about their baby’s due date. The baby’s room is prepped, the labor bag is packed and it seems like all a couple needs is a newborn baby. But what if the mother’s birth plan doesn’t go as anticipated? There are times when fetal distress can cause permanent injury to the newborn chid.
Fetal distress is a general term given when a baby suffers stress in the womb during labor. Fetal distress could be caused by a number of things, but oftentimes it can be caused when an appropriate birth plan is not implemented by a doctor. A baby’s shoulder can become pulled away from the head during the labor and this can cause distress during delivery. Fetal distress is something that happens to a some children during birth and some suffer resounding injuries such as Erb’s palsy or cerebral palsy.
Both Erb’s palsy and cerebral palsy are conditions that can range in severity from mild to severe. The brachial plexus is a bundle of nerves that are injured when one is diagnosed with Erb’s palsy, which can lead to loss of sensation or movement in limbs. Cerebral palsy is when oxygen does not get to a baby’s brain during delivery and this can lead to various physical and mental disabilities. These conditions are serious and need to be addressed immediately to ensure a child’s best outcome to recover or rehabilitate.
Of course, rehabilitation or recovery from fetal distress could be a life-long journey. The expenses associated with such an injury can seem overwhelming to parents of a new child. No one every wants their child to suffer injury. For those that do, personal injury suits can be a way to recoup for the child’s and family’s losses.
Source: injury.findlaw.com, “Birth Injuries: Cerebral Palsy and Erb’s Palsy,” Accessed January 16, 2017