Fact Sheet About Birth Injury
According to the results of research that was published in 2003 in Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology, about 29 of every 1,000 births involve some form of birth injury. The study goes on to identify certain risk factors associated with sustaining a birth injury, which include the following:
- Male infants tend to sustain birth injuries more than female infants.
- There is a correlation with high birth weight and birth injuries.
- The most common types of birth injuries include scalp injuries, skeletal injuries, and fractured collarbones.
- Deliveries which involved the use of medical instruments tend to result in more birth injuries than those that were non-instrument deliveries.
- Infants of Asian and Pacific Islander descent tend to sustain birth injuries at a higher rate than the rest of the population.
Birth Injury Attorneys
Birth Injury Videos
Birth Injury Incidents
Every year, people in and around Doylestown, Pennsylvania are injured by medical negligence. In some cases, this negligence occurs during childbirth, sometimes with extremely serious consequences both for victims and their families. In many instances, the injuries associated with mistakes made during delivery can affect a person for years and may even leave him or her with disabilities that make it impossible to live independently.
Common Types of Birth Injuries
The delivery process can be extremely physically difficult, both for mothers and their newborn children. Birth injuries have the potential to occur even in the absence of medical negligence, but in many cases there are specific acts of omissions of medical staff that contributed to or caused an injury to take place. There are a number of types that birth injuries that are commonly the result of medical negligence, including the following:
Brachial Plexus Injury
The brachial plexus is the network of nerves that runs from the spine to the shoulder, arm, and hand. When these nerves are injured during the delivery process, newborns can experience symptoms such as muscle weakness, numbness, pain, and full or partial lack of mobility. The treatment of a brachial plexus injury depends on the severity of the injury and may include medication, surgery, physical therapy, and regular massage.
Bone Fractures
The bones of a newborn child are extremely fragile. When excessive force is used during the delivery process, bone fractures can easily occur as a result. In many cases, a serious fracture can cause significant pain and may require immobilization of the affected area or surgery to treat
Perinatal Asphyxia
Perinatal asphyxia is a condition that involves a newborn not receiving a sufficient amount of oxygen. In many cases, this lack of oxygen can cause serious injury to a newborn’s vital organs and significant brain damage. In serious cases, perinatal asphyxia can result in physical or mental disabilities
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy is a disorder that appears in early childhood and is often linked to brain injuries that occur during delivery. Symptoms of cerebral palsy can include problems with coordination, sensory issues, muscle weakness, and trouble swallowing and speaking, among others.
Get your free Birth Injury consultation here. Discuss your case today.
Let us put our years of experience to work for you.
"*" indicates required fields
The attorneys of Cohen, Placitella & Roth, PC are dedicated to helping people who have been injured by the negligence of others recover for their losses. We have been representing the rights of birth injury victims for over 40 years and have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars on behalf of our clients.
Investigating Birth Injuries Requires Resources
Modern medicine has made childbirth a much safer event than it was in the past, evidenced by the significant drop in infant mortality rates that have occurred. While it is much safer, medical negligence can still easily result in serious injuries that lead to significant medical problems. For victims to be able to successfully recover after an injury due to negligence, they must be able to determine what negligent act or omission caused their injury, which often requires significant investigation. In many cases, determining the cause of an accident requires that a victim obtain and review thousands of pages of medical records or witness statements, a task that is much easier with the assistance of an experienced birth injury law firm.
In addition to gathering evidence, some cases may require the use of an expert witness to establish that the delivery team failed to meet the relevant standard of care. As experienced attorneys, we understand how to obtain evidence that supports your position and present it a way that will maximize your chances of recovery. In many cases, litigating a birth injury case requires a significant investment of time and resources, and retaining a law firm that understands how to handle birth injury cases can have a significant impact on the outcome of a case.
Birth injuries are an unfortunate fact of life in Doylestown and the surrounding areas. The lawyers of Cohen, Placitella & Roth, PC are dedicated to helping victims of birth injuries and their families ensure their financial security by holding those responsible for their injuries responsible
Cohen, Placitella & Roth, P.C. offers a FREE CONSULTATION.
Contact us today to discuss how we can helpPhiladelphia Office
2001 Market St Suite 2900
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: (215) 567-3500
Fax: (215) 567-6019
