Giving birth – indeed the entire childbirth process! – is fraught with possible errors that often lead to pain and the ruination of lives.
At the beginning of the last century, according to the CDC as many as 9 in 1,000 American women did not survive the process.
How can you be sure your baby has had a birth injury? Here are some signs you can look for:
- Meconium – when the baby stools before delivery. It appears as a green or black fluid from the vagina and indicates that the baby was in distress
- Fetal bradycardia- Â baby’s heart rate is low
- Fetal tachycardia – baby’s heart rate is high, commonly seen when there is an infection
- Maternal tachycardia – mom’s heart rate is high, also seen with infection
- Intrauterine resuscitative measures – if the baby’s heart rate is low, there are maneuvers to bring the heart rate up, such as turning mommy on her side, increase intravenous fluids, and others
- Neonatologist or pediatrician present at delivery – indication that your baby needed to be resuscitated after delivery
- Low apgar scores – your baby will be assigned a score for the condition at birth
- Abnormal cord or blood gases – assesses the oxygenation of the baby during the labor and delivery and after
- Seizures or “posturing” – abnormal movements indicate an injury to the baby’s brain
- Cool cap therapy – cools the brain down after damage to try reduce impact on function
Merson Law’s Principal Attorney Jordan Merson is widely considered one of the top medical malpractice lawyers in New York State. Merson has handled all types of cases and a substantial portion of his practice is dedicated to children and those injured at or around the time of birth, as well as wrongful death cases. Merson has litigated cases that has resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in recoveries. We have a doctor that is part of the team that reviews all of our medical malpractice cases. Contact us for a free consult today including by one or more medical doctors.
