Birth Injuries, Birth Defects, & Michigan Medical Malpractice Claims

By: LBuckfire | Posted: 26th April 2010

Many types of injuries can occur during pregnancy, labor or after birth. Some of the most common types of birth injuries include cerebral palsy, erb's palsy, and brachial palsy. Birth trauma is an injury to the child during the delivery. Caring for a child with a birth injury, caused by the negligence, costs an unfathomable amount over the lifetime of the child. Filing a medical malpractice claim through can result in much needed financial assistant for medical expenses and other costs.

Medical error can cause birth injuries or can increase their severity or permanence. Medical errors include: failing to anticipate birth complications, such as your baby's twisted umbilical cord; failure to respond appropriately to bleeding; failure to respond to fetal distress; delay in ordering a cesarean section when medically necessary; misuse of forceps or a vacuum extractor during delivery; or poor after-care after.

Injuries can occur during the birth of a child. A child can suffer permanent brain injury, Cerebral Palsy, nerve injury or even death as well as other complications later in life like learning difficulties, emotional difficulties and mental retardation.

One of the common birth injuries is shoulder dystocia which can be caused during delivery by a physician's improper use of forceps. Besides pain, the injury results a limited ability to move a hand or arm. Often a baby suffering from shoulder dystocia cannot lift their arm above the shoulder level. Other common birth injuries are Erb's Palsy and Brachial Plexus injuries.

Lack of oxygen to the brain during delivery can cause an anoxic or mechanical injury. Anoxic injuries are those caused by a reduced oxygen supply during delivery. The same kind of brain damage can be produced by a physical trauma during birth. This type of physical trauma is known as a "mechanical injury," such as a fractured skull.

Indicators that a fetus has an higher risk of birth injury include a difficult, prolonged labor, improper use of medication by the pregnant mother, a large fetus or a breech birth. An unreasonable delay in performing an emergency cesarean section can increase the risk of injury.

A pregnant woman with gestational diabetes faces a greater risk of complications at birth. About two to seven babies out of a thousand births will suffer birth injuries. Every precaution to ensure a healthy delivery should be pursued by seeing a competent pre-natal physician.

The statute of limitations for birth injury cases varies from state to state. In Michigan, you must file a lawsuit within two years after the minors 10th birthday. If you miss a deadline, your claim will be lost forever. To avoid these severe consequences it is important that you contact a Michigan birth injury lawyer so that you may make a medical malpractice claim.


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If you suspect that your child has been a victim of a birth injury you should contact our office immediately to discuss your case. Call us now at (800) 606-1717. You should also request our FREE Malpractice book, "The Ultimate Michigan Medical Malpractice Handbook," which explains the legal process in Michigan and what must be proven to win your case. We will send out immediately to you.
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Tags: brain injury, physical trauma, brain damage, oxygen supply, emotional difficulties, fetal distress, shoulder level, medical malpractice claim, birth injuries