|
BIRTH INJURY - Personal Injury Lawyers:
Hospitals in the United States provide the setting for some of life's most pivotal events - the birth of a child, major surgery, treatment for otherwise fatal illnesses. These hospitals house the most sophisticated medical technology in the world and provide state-of-the-art diagnostic and therapeutic services. But access to these services comes with certain costs. About 36% of personal health care expenditures in the United States go towards hospital care, and the rate of growth in spending for hospital services has begun to increase following a half a decade of declining growth. Simultaneously, concerns about the quality of health care services have reached a crescendo with the Institute of Medicine's series of reports describing the problem of medical errors and the need for a complete restructuring of the health care system to improve the quality of care.
On serious issue today is birth trauma and injury of newborns. Birth injuries usually result of trauma suffered by an infant during labor and delivery and range from bruising to serious conditions such as severe brain injury. Common, but serious injuries include erb palsy and cerebral palsy. Click HERE for more information regarding erb's palsy, Brachial Plexus shoulder dystocia. Cerebral palsy is caused by a problem in the brain that affects a child's ability to control his or her muscles. Problems in different parts of the brain cause problems in different parts of the body. There are many possible causes of problems, such as genetic conditions, problems with the blood supply to the brain before birth, infections, bleeding in the brain, lack of oxygen, severe jaundice, and head injury.
The signs of birth injuries vary greatly because there are many different types and levels of disabilities. One of the signs of cerebral palsy is that your children may have a delay reaching the motor or movement milestones. If you see any of these signs, call your child's doctor or nurse.
A child over 2 months with cerebral palsy might:
- have difficulty controlling head when picked up
have stiff legs that cross or "scissor" when picked up
A child over 6 months with cerebral palsy might:
- continue to have a hard time controlling head when picked up
reach with only one hand while keeping the other in a fist
A child over 10 months with cerebral palsy might:
- crawl by pushing off with one hand and leg while dragging the opposite hand and leg
not sit by himself or herself
A child over 12 months with cerebral palsy might:
- not crawl
- not be able to stand with support
A child over 24 months with cerebral palsy might:
- not be able to walk
- not be able to push a toy with wheels
What can I do if I think my child might have a birth injury?
If you or your doctor have concerns about cerebral palsy or other serious birth injury, you can seek the help of a specialist such as a developmental pediatrician or child neurologist, and you can contact your local early intervention agency (for children under 3) or public school (for children 3 and older). Cerebral Palsy is sometimes caused by physician error or medical malpractice. If you have questions regarding issues of legal liability please use the form below to contact an attorney. There is no fee or charge for this no obligation free case evaluation.
Case Information:
Case Description*
Please explain exactly what happened, trying to state
as thoroughly as possible who you believe was responsible
and why you believe that person was negligent:
|
Please explain the full extent of the victims injuries:
|
Comments / Additional Information
Is there anything else that would assist us in
understanding the facts of your case?
|
| 
