Take it from a skilled birth injury lawyer, seeking legal action against the medical professionals you suspect are responsible for your baby’s injury is your right. Given the tremendous costs of birth injuries, you will need the money to handle the expenses associated with caring for your child.

Many parents also choose to pursue legal action on principle. After all, someone should be held accountable for causing your newborn baby so much pain and leaving them with health problems that may last a lifetime.To have a valid legal claim, you must prove negligence on the part of the physicians, nurses, and other personnel involved with the birth.

BRAIN INJURIES

• The harm done to the brain is the most severe kind of injury. If your baby is deprived of oxygen during birth, he or she could suffer from what is called hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy or HIE. If your baby is deprived of oxygen for too long, it can lead to the impairment of multiple brain functions. Your baby may also suffer from a hemorrhage – blood vessels leaking into the brain – and seizures.
• Other birth brain injuries include jaundice and the development of the disease into kernicterus, which can lead to strep infection and meningitis. The leading birth brain injury is Cerebral Palsy (CP). It affects nearly 800,000 children, and can develop as a result of infections, oxygen deprivation, and infant stroke.

NERVE INJURIES

• These types of injuries can occur during or before delivery. Nerve injuries include facial nerve damage, which is evident when a newborn cries and their face appears lopsided.

BRACHIAL PLEXUS OR LIMB WEAKNESS

• The brachial plexus is a nerve network in the shoulder that transports sensory and movement signals from the spinal cord to the arms and hands. Damage can cause pain, numbness, or weakness in the arms and hands.
• The brachial plexus is vulnerable during delivery, with larger babies facing an increased risk for injuries. Babies in a breech position or babies whose labor lasts a very long time are also at risk for brachial plexus injury.

PHRENIC NERVE DAMAGE

• Because the phrenic nerve controls the diaphragm and regulates the breathing process, damage to it can be devastating. Difficulty breathing is a common symptom, as are issues with hiccups. The most serious potential impact, however, is diaphragm paralysis – a condition that prevents a baby from breathing on their own.

PARALYSIS

• While birth injuries seldom result in paralysis, it is possible. Paralysis occurs when the body’s connection to the brain is damaged. There are several types of paralysis, such as complete, partial, generalized and localized. Depending on the type, paralysis may impact the following: breathing, blood flow, organ function, ability to speak/swallow, and more.

INJURIES TO BONE, SKIN AND SOFT TISSUES

• Bones can be fractured during delivery. Collarbone fractures are common, and many times the injury is not recognized until a few days after the birth. Fractures of the upper arm will cause pain to your baby, and your physician will need to apply a loose splint to limit movement.
• The improper use of forceps can cause injury to the skin. Swelling and bruising are normal if a breech delivery is required. However, the medical professionals involved in the delivery should be qualified to carry out these procedures without doing harm to the baby. THose lacking sufficient training can leave permanent marks and injuries on your baby, some of which may cause severe pain.