Was My Infant’s Spinal Cord Injury Caused by Medical Malpractice?

 Posted on March 18, 2021 in Birth Injury

Our spinal cords serve numerous vital functions. Consequently, damage to the spinal cord before or during an infant’s birth can have profound consequences. Babies who sustain a spinal cord injury during birth may suffer from paralysis, difficulty breathing, digestion issues, and more. The infant may require extensive medical intervention to recover from the spinal cord damage or he or she may be disabled for the rest of his or her life. There are many different reasons that an infant may suffer a spinal cord injury. In some cases, a spinal cord injury is caused by negligent medical care during a child’s birth.

Trauma During Birth May Damage a Baby’s Spinal Cord

Often, spinal cord injuries during birth occur because there is an urgent need to deliver the baby so birth assistive tools are used. For example, if the baby is not receiving enough blood flow to the brain, doctors may need to manually assist labor using forceps or vacuum extraction. When used correctly, birth-assistive tools can save an infant’s life. However, misuse of these tools or using assistive tools with an alternative birthing method can lead to preventable birth injuries. Force applied manually or via assistive tools, external cephalic version, and excessive traction may cause the baby’s spinal cord to become bruised or torn.

Factors that May Increase Chances of a Spinal Cord Injury During Birth

Recognizing risk factors that may complicate the birth process is one of the most crucial responsibilities obstetricians and other doctors have during a woman’s pregnancy, labor, and delivery. When a thorough assessment of the woman and fetus’s health is taken, doctors can prepare in advance for issues that may arise during birth. Some of the problems that can increase the chances of spinal cord damage at birth include:

• Breech presentation

• Cephalopelvic disproportion

• Prolonged labor

• Prematurity

• Macrosomia

• Low amniotic fluid

Contact a Cook County Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer

When failure to assess patient risk factors, unsafe delivery techniques, or other negligent medical care causes a baby to be injured or killed, a medical malpractice claim may hold the liable party responsible. At Birth Injury Law Alliance, Ltd., our experienced Chicago birth injury attorneys investigate birth injuries and look for signs of medical negligence. If your baby’s spinal cord injury was caused by substandard medical care during pregnancy, labor, or delivery, we can help you bring a medical malpractice claim and seek damages. You may be compensated for medical expenses as well as the non-financial consequences of your baby’s injury. Call us today at 312-462-4200 to schedule a free consultation.

Sources:

https://www.childrenshospital.org/conditions-and-treatments/conditions/s/spinal-cord-injury 

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1469-8749.1975.tb04967.x