Babies are quite fragile and require a lot of care. No parent wants to see their child suffer from a birth injury. A birth injury is when an injury occurs to a baby during or soon after birth, often while they are still in the hospital. There are many kinds of birth injuries. Here are a few to know about.
Palsy is a form of nerve damage. Brachial Plexus Palsy (Erb’s Palsy) and Krupke’s Palsy are often caused when a doctor pulls too hard on a baby as they leave the womb. The former causes damage to the arm nerves, while the latter causes damage to the leg nerves. Erb’s Palsy often happens when babies are too large and get their shoulders stuck on the mother’s pelvis, a condition called shoulder dystocia.
Cerebral palsy happens when the brain is damaged in some way that affects motor control. There are lots of ways for this to happen. While it can be caused by a birth defect, it can also be caused by a birth injury. There have been many lawsuits filed against doctors for causing cerebral palsy in a baby because they damaged the brain in some way.
Another common condition for babies is infant jaundice. If treated, this usually is not a problem. But untreated infant jaundice can cause a form of brain damage called kernicterus and cause life-long complications.
We have collected stories and information about birth injuries so you can learn more about these conditions. If you feel that a medical professional has harmed your baby, do not hesitate to reach out to Chalik Law for a free consultation.
Brachial plexus injuries are among the most common types of birth injuries today. They affect the network of nerves that extends from the neck to the shoulder, arm and hand. Brachial plexus injuries can be caused by a number of factors during the delivery process, including birth trauma or shoulder dystocia, where the baby’s shoulder…
A birth injury lawsuit has been filed by a mother and father in Florida, alleging that their child sustained hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy and other serious birth injuries. The parents, Jenifer and Sean Mochocki, filed the lawsuit March 25 in federal court in Jacksonville, Florida, against the United States of America, pursuant to the Federal Tort…
A resident of Florida has filed a birth defect lawsuit against Pfizer, the manufacturer of Zoloft, an antidepressant. The plaintiff alleges that the drug caused her daughter to have a birth defect. The plaintiff further claims that Pfizer neglected to sufficiently test Zoloft as well as failed to warn consumers and physicians of the potential…
For expecting mothers, nothing is more traumatizing than the thought of losing an unborn child. If you’ve been in a car accident while pregnant, you may have fears about whether or not your baby is going to be okay. After a car accident when pregnant, you should seek medical attention immediately. If either you or…
One potential risk of childbirth is prolonged labor, which occurs when the mother remains in labor beyond the standard period of time. This condition can carry a higher risk for birth injuries, and it’s vital that doctors monitor cases of prolonged labor and respond appropriately to minimize or avoid risk of injury. Prolonged Labor Overview…
A Cesarean birth is a major medical procedure performed on a pregnant woman who cannot give birth vaginally. It means the baby will be delivered by surgery, via an incision across the belly and uterus, rather than vaginally. When a C-section May Be Necessary C-sections are done because of pregnancy complications or because of complications…
Legal Options if Your Child Suffered Birth Injuries in Homestead Related to Negligence The U.S. Census Department estimates that there are 1,344 women in Homestead, Fla., between the ages of 15 and 50 who gave birth in 2012. These are, of course, happy times for the families, though if a child suffered birth injuries the…
Florida birth injury lawyer Debi Chalik recently sat down with Jesse Wojdylo to discuss the basics of a birth injury, the signs a parent should look for in their newborn, and who to go to for advice and help in filing a birth injury lawsuit against the doctor or hospital.
Approximately two to five out of every 1,000 births result in brachial plexus injuries, such as Erb’s Palsy, according to the United Brachial Plexus Network. Erb’s palsy symptoms vary in degree from baby to baby and can rob children of many milestones. As your child gets older, he or she will need answers about the…
If you have a new child who’s been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, it’ll take a concerted effort, a good amount of time and an open heart to adapt to the new family dynamics. Having a child with special needs adds a new – and sometimes overwhelming – dimension to your life. It is your job…
You Didn’t Expect This… No parent wants to see their newborn injured, sick or in pain. It’s even worse when the injury could have been prevented! Infants are the most precious gifts. Obstetricians begin caring for them before they are born, by monitoring and caring for expectant mothers. Unfortunately, pregnancy is a very vulnerable…
When a child is having a seizure, it’s an extremely frightening experience for a parent. It’s important to know what to do should your child have a seizure so you can avoid panic and foster a quick recovery. Possible Causes of Seizure When children have seizures, many parents automatically assume the cause is epilepsy. But…
How serious is Erb’s Palsy? Like any birth injury, the seriousness of Erb’s palsy depends on the severity of the underlying injury. The effects may be temporary, or the child may experience them for the rest of his or her life. Contacting a Florida Erb’s Palsy attorney can be extremely beneficial to both you and…
It is not unheard of for a doctor to blame a mother for her child’s birth injury. This is why it is so important for parents of injured children to understand their rights in a birth injury claim. An attorney can act as an advocate for the mother and injured child, fighting to represent the…
What lawyer qualifications should I look for if I’m pursuing a birth injury case? Past experience with similar cases is one of the most important lawyer qualifications to look for when hiring an attorney. This means an attorney who’s handled similar birth injury cases is typically the best suited to handle an Erb’s palsy case,…
Cerebral palsy can occur because of a maternal illness during pregnancy or a disease obtained during infancy, but when cerebral palsy is caused by a medical mistake during the labor and delivery process, it is overwhelming to know that it could have been avoided. Sadly, cerebral palsy is not curable. When this Florida birth injury…
Many Florida parents have had their life changed in the blink of an eye when their babies suffered birth injuries at the hands of negligent medical doctors. What once was a happy occasion turned into a traumatic situation and medical emergency. When an expectant mother goes into labor, she is thinking about the excitement of…
As an expectant mother, you most likely learned how to breathe properly during childbirth by attending a Lamaze class. Or you may have learned hypnosis childbirth to enter into a hypnotic state in order to deal with the pain of a natural childbirth. Whatever you learned and prepared for may be different than what actually…
It doesn’t seem fair. Why did your baby suffer cerebral palsy? Why your family? Sadly, there are some things in life that go unanswered and just don’t make sense. Although we know why this Florida birth injury occurred – due to negligent doctors – it still doesn’t make you feel any better. Many parents of…
As parent’s ourselves we understand what a responsibility parents carry to keep their children safe. Children and their safety is always top priority. As a service to our clients and other parents, we have created this section to offer advice to help. Over the last thirty years, we have learned tips to avoid some of…
