The Doctor Dropped Our Baby During Delivery. Is This Normal?

 Posted on June 22, 2022 in Birth Injury

While a baby dropped on its head may make up a good portion of schoolyard taunts, when an infant is dropped during delivery, it is no laughing matter. Most Chicago mothers envision their labor and delivery ending with a final push, a gentle catch by the attending doctor or midwife, followed by tender first moments with baby. When these first moments are disturbed or taken away altogether because of a doctor’s carelessness or distraction handling a newborn infant, there are no words to describe the confusion and devastation that follow. 

Every child deserves a fair chance at starting her life off with health and joy; the delivery process is already complicated and chaotic enough without additional complications. But if your infant was dropped or mishandled during delivery and injured or killed as a result, you can take action to seek compensation and prevent such a tragedy from happening to someone else. 

Common Injuries From Being Dropped or Mishandled At Birth

Although research suggests dropping an infant happens only rarely, the available numbers are likely underestimated as a nurse or physician is not likely to admit to dropping an infant if he or she was not observed doing so. There are even accounts of doctors dropping infants and denying it until being shown video evidence captured by a parent or grandparent recording the event. 

Even so, the data suggest between 600 and 700 infants are dropped every year. Infant bodies - especially infant skulls - are soft and fragile, making them prone to injuries, including: 

• Skull fractures
• Brain injuries, including bleeding and blood clots
• Broken or fractured bones
• Hematomas or contusions
• Back and abdominal injuries
• Death 

Many of the injuries may only have short-term effects and resolve on their own. Others will require expensive medical treatment to correct, and yet others will result in wrongful death. 

Doctors Must Follow the Standard of Care

Doctors, nurses, and midwives should be carefully trained and experienced professionals who know the standard of care when it comes to delivery. It should not be your job to worry about whether your obstetric staff has the knowledge to keep you and your baby safe. Unfortunately, medical practitioners do not always follow the standard of care and when they deviate from best practices and cause damage to their patients, they may be held liable for the consequences of their behavior. 

Meet with an Aggressive Chicago Birth Injury Lawyer

Infant head injuries can be life-threatening and doctors whose carelessness put the health and safety of infants in danger should be held accountable. At Birth Injury Law Alliance, Ltd., our focus is on helping parents who have suffered because of medical negligence during childbirth recover the compensation to which they are entitled. Our assertive Cook County birth injury lawyers have the resources and grit to tackle even the toughest cases and do not settle for excuses or bad settlement offers. Call us today at 312-462-4200 to schedule your free consultation and learn more about how we may be able to help. 

Source: 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18676512/