Philadelphia Birth Injury Lawyer Assisting Clients With Fractures and Broken Bones
When it is time for a baby’s birth, no parents want to think about the risk of broken and/or fractured bones. However, bone breaks and fractures are birth injuries that can occur during labor and delivery. Although many broken bones or fractures are likely to heal, these injuries are nonetheless serious ones, and in many situations, they may have been preventable. When healthcare providers are careful and pay particular attention to the risks of broken bones in difficult deliveries, these injuries may be avoidable. If your labor and delivery was particularly difficult and your baby sustained a fracture, you may be eligible to file a birth injury lawsuit. To be sure, your physician may not have ordered a cesarean section (“C-section”) when she or he should have, and your infant’s injuries could have resulted from your doctor’s decision.
While not all broken bones during childbirth are the result of a healthcare provider’s negligence, it is extremely important to discuss your case with a birth injury lawyer in Philadelphia to learn more about seeking compensation.
How Do Broken Bones Occur During Childbirth?
How do babies suffer broken bones during childbirth? According to a fact sheet from Nationwide Children’s Hospital, broken bones can occur in many different circumstances, including but not limited to the following:
- Trauma at birth;
- Newborn being larger in size;
- Newborn’s shoulder becoming stuck during delivery;
- Mother having a narrow birth canal; and/or
- Use of tools (such as forceps) during delivery.
Nationwide Children’s explains that the fracture of a baby’s clavicle—or collarbone—is the most common type of broken bone injury during childbirth, yet other types of fractures can occur. For instance, a report in the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health lists the following types of broken bone injuries during childbirth:
- Clavicle (about 46 percent);
- Humerus (about 20 percent);
- Femur (about 14 percent); and
- Depressed skull fracture (around 11 percent).
Signs and Symptoms of a Broken Bone in Your Infant
What are the most common signs and symptoms of a broken bone or fracture in your infant? According to Nationwide Children’s, “fussiness or crying with movement” is the primary sign that your baby may have a broken bone. When there is a clavicle fracture, the infant typically will cry when there is movement of the arm as a result of pain in the collarbone, and you may notice that your child is attempting to avoid moving his or her arm.
In cases where a broken clavicle goes undiagnosed, the child may sustain nerve damage that can limit the ability for the child to move the arm. In most cases, several weeks after the injury, the baby may develop a lump around the area where the fracture occurred. A majority of infants who sustain broken clavicles recover fully. However, broken collarbones can also be linked to brachial plexus injuries, which can have more serious and long-term consequences.
Discuss Your Case with a Philadelphia Birth Injury Lawyer
If you have questions about your child’s broken or fractured bone during childbirth, an experienced Philadelphia birth injury attorney can help. Contact Cohen, Placitella & Roth, P.C. for more information.
