Is my child the victim of a birth injury?

Imagine you’re an expecting parent that has spent months preparing for your new arrival. You decorated the nursery, selected a car seat and even finally found the perfect name for your new loved one.

However, the birth of your child could turn from joy and hope to tragedy and sorrow if something goes wrong and your child suffers from a birth injury.

In the United States alone, approximately three incidents of birth injuries occur every hour, which equals to over 2,300 per month, according to rightdiagnosis.com. A birth injury is different than a birth defect and can occur during labor and delivery or immediately following delivery.

Birthinjuryguide.org defines a birth injury as a “health problem that an infant is born with that is, in most cases, completely preventable.” Several common birth injuries include:

• Brachial plexus, also called brachial plexus palsy, is nerve damage at the base of the neck to the upper arms from too much force from the forceps or other instruments to assist in the birth process. “Permanent brachial plexus birth injuries are nearly always preventable,” according to the United Brachial Plexus Network.

• During labor and delivery, failure to recognize distress of the baby can lead to deprivation of oxygen or hypoxia. Oxygen deprivation can also be caused by abnormalities with the umbilical cord or having the cord wrap around the baby’s neck. The lack of oxygen can result in seizures, cerebral palsy or other permanent brain trauma that can affect the growth and cognitive development of your child.

Such an impact can leave new parents asking difficult questions. Why did this happen? Will my child recover? Could this have been prevented? What do we do to care for our child?

The answers to those questions vary, but one thing remains the same, the result of a birth injury can be devastating for families. Consulting medical specialists as quickly as possible can lessen the long-term consequences of a birth injury.

According the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, the lifetime costs of caring for a child with cerebral palsy can reach up to $1 million. Costs when caring for a child who experienced hearing or vision loss due to birth injuries can reach up to $500,000 over their lifetime.

If your child has a birth injury, providing adequate care and quality of life is the most important thing. If you have a child that is born with a birth defect, you should reach out to a qualified birth injury lawyer. At Balkin & Mausner, we fight for your rights to get the compensation you deserve. Visit our site at hirethebull.com for more information or call us at 1-800-THE-BULL.

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