For people who want to have children, the birth experience is a massive part of the process. This is often a momentous occasion that leads to parents being able to hold their beautiful baby in their arms and eventually bring the baby home.
But what about when the birth process leads to some sort of injury to the newborn? This can quickly turn an ecstatic time into one laced with fear, confusion, and worry. It’s one of the worst things that parents can experience during birth.
In all fairness, there are some injuries that simply cannot be avoided, despite the best efforts of the professionals involved. Injuries like birth defects are not based on negligence or lack of appropriate care. However, there are many injuries that can potentially be avoided and lead to long-lasting effects on both the child and the parents.
Some of those injuries include:
- Birth Asphyxia
- Cerebral Palsy
If you or someone you know has potentially faced a birth injury, it is vital to work with experienced birth injury lawyers in Indianapolis or your local state to see what your options are.
Birth Asphyxia
This particular disorder occurs when a baby’s brain is not getting the blood flow and oxygen that it needs, particularly during birth. The cells wind up damaged and it could potentially lead to death as well. However, the result of the injury will heavily depend on how long the child did not have the oxygen they needed, the actual oxygen levels of the child, and how quickly the issue was treated and taken care of.
There can be several causes of birth asphyxia as well. Here are some of the most common known to lead to this injury.
- The umbilical cord, particularly in instances where it is wrapped around the baby’s neck.
- Child has a blocked airway during birth
- Extended labor and delivery
- The blood pressure of the mother is too low or too high
- Malformation of the child’s airway
- An infection present in the baby or the mother
- Mother is deprived of oxygen before or during birthing
- Separation of the placenta from the womb
These are the primary reasons that babies might experience birth asphyxia. In some cases, these can be identified prior to delivery or identified as quickly as possible and handled accordingly during the birth. Many times, the extent of the injury is dependent upon how quickly treatment is provided.
Cerebral Palsy
To be clear, cerebral palsy is not always related to a birth injury. However, there can be a connection. This is a disability that could potentially cause your child delays for their entire life in terms of development. Statistics show that the United States has up to 10,000 babies born each year with cerebral palsy. That’s an astronomical number!
One way that cerebral palsy develops is during development in the womb. This is unavoidable. However, many cerebral palsy cases occur during birth when a brain injury is suffered during delivery. While birth is not always the cause, it is important to be aware that it can potentially be the cause in some cases.
The developmental delays of cerebral palsy might cause a child to be wheelchair-bound and unable to learn to walk, crawl, and more. They could also be severely delayed in these areas. In these circumstances, cerebral palsy is diagnosed later in life when the delays are presenting.
Here are some of the causes of cerebral palsy, both birth-related and non-birth related:
- Genetic disposition
- Infection in the mother
- Lack of blood flow to baby’s brain or organs
- Insufficient oxygen to baby’s brain or organs
- Seizures that occur during delivery
- Bleeding in the baby’s brain during birth or even pre-birth
- Brain injuries related to birth, including traumatic brain injuries, brain infections, or seizures
You will notice that not all of these causes are during birth and therefore would not be a birth injury. The truth is that many birth injuries potentially go unnoticed until cerebral palsy becomes notable as the child develops, or doesn’t develop in some cases.
Dealing with Birth Injuries
The concern comes when a birth injury occurs that could have potentially been avoided. This type of injury could make life challenging in many ways. It’s not just because caring for the child may be difficult, but there’s the effect that it has on the personal and career lives of the parents as well.
For example, parents might lose work or miss work. They could also experience excessive turmoil in their personal lives or in their relationships. The brain injury might make bonding with the newborn a challenge. There are many things the families might experience.
When the birth injury could have been prevented, this could potentially be a malpractice case and it’s important to determine just what options you might have. If there is determination of negligence or malpractice, you could be entitled to a claim for the injury.
Birth Injury Lawyers Indianapolis
If a known injury occurs during birth, you should seek legal assistance right away. If signs present later of a birth-related injury, you might still have options. As soon as you notice any potential signs of a birth-related injury, reaching out to birth injury lawyers in Indianapolis and surrounding areas is vital.
Be sure to use an experienced and reliable attorney. Ideally, an attorney with experience handling these types of cases is the best way to go. They will be able to help you determine your options and then proceed with filing a claim and taking action.
Birth injuries are tragic. This should be a time of joy and excitement. While not every injury is avoidable, many of them could be. Take action for your family and for your baby.
