Lack Of Oxygen In Birth – Resulting Injuries

A Miami, Florida, woman was awarded $23 million in damages by a Charlotte County Circuit Court jury for medical malpractice that resulted in her premature daughter being born with severe brain damage and cerebral palsy. The mother visited her obstetrician in 2010 when she was pregnant with her first child. At 24 weeks of pregnancy,... Read More

Florida hospitals have among the highest cesarean section rates for low-risk pregnancies for first-time mothers in the nation. Consumer Reports analyzed C-section data reported by more than 1200 hospitals across the country. They found C-section rates varied significantly among institutions and within the same communities. Low-risk pregnancies are defined as those in which the baby... Read More

Researchers in England have found that babies born during weekends have a slightly higher risk of dying within their first seven days in comparison to those born on weekdays. Imperial College London scientists analyzed 1.3 million births across English National Health Service hospitals between April 2010 and March 2012. Their findings showed the death rate... Read More

A family was awarded more than $4.8 million in a medical malpractice case arising from a birth injury that occurred over a decade ago. Guerline Cherenfant Jean, Loheirson Jean and their 14-year-old daughter filed the lawsuit in 2004 against a Fort Lauderdale midwife and doctor. Circuit Judge Michele Towbin Singer presided over the five-day trial... Read More

A new study shows that although Florida’s premature birth rate has improved since four years ago, the state still has a high number of such births every year. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, Florida’s premature birth rate has dropped from 13.6 percent in 2013 to 9.9 percent in 2014. The March of... Read More

A couple filed a birth injury lawsuit on July 10, alleging that their son developed Erb’s palsy following a long and difficult childbirth due to the negligence of hospital personnel. The lawsuit states that the midwife, obstetrician and several nurses at the federally managed Family Health Centers of Southwest Florida, Inc. deviated from accepted standards... Read More

Epidurals have become a common method for managing pain during labor and delivery. Over half of all pregnant women in the United States choose to receive the injections for pain relief during childbirth. An epidural injection is a regional anesthesia administered intravenously around the lower spinal cord area. It is popular because it can help... Read More

Infants are more susceptible to head injury than adults given that their heads are proportionately bigger and they have yet to develop the muscles and coordination that adults have. While most head injuries in infants are minor, serious brain injuries can occur in traumatic accidents and during complicated births. Causes of Infant Brain Injury Infants,... Read More

Doctors are responsible for carefully monitoring both the mother and baby to ensure the pregnancy is progressing normally. One possible complication that can arise is fetal macrosomia. The condition refers to a baby being larger than average for its gestational age. Pregnant women who have been diagnosed with fetal macrosomia require proper medical attention as... Read More

Simulation using manikins is becoming an integral part of medical training around the country to help improve the quality of care for patients. Research indicates that simulated learning environments contribute to preparing medical staff for emergencies, enhance their skills and allow them to practice rarely used procedures. In addition, simulator training is credited with reducing... Read More

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... Read More

Erb’s Palsy, which is also referred to as brachial plexus birth palsy, is a type of obstetric brachial plexus injury that can occur due to complications at the time of delivery. The brachial plexus is a system of spinal nerves that convey messages from the spine to the shoulders, arms and hands. The most typical... Read More

There is no one single cure for Erb’s palsy. The likelihood of recovery depends on the severity of the underlying injury. Proper medical and therapeutic care may remedy the effects of the injury or lessen the long-term impact. Unfortunately, the effects may be permanent in the most severe cases of nerve damage. Common Erb’s Palsy... Read More

The burden of proof in an Erb’s palsy case dictates that a plaintiff – in this case, the injured child’s parents – must prove his or her case based on evidence presented. Essentially, this means the victim must prove the doctor or hospital was at fault versus the doctor or hospital proving they were not... Read More

Erb’s palsy can be the basis for a birth injury lawsuit. Erb’s palsy is one kind of brachial plexus palsy. It is a paralysis of the arm caused by an injury to the brachial plexus, a network of nerves in the neck that leads to nerves in the arm. Erb’s palsy causes lack of motion... Read More

Trauma during the labor and delivery process can lead to either minor or severe birth injuries. These injuries might include: Broken or fractured bones Infections Cerebral Palsy Brain trauma Skin lacerations Brain swelling Lack of oxygen Neurological disorders Some of these birth injuries, like a lack of oxygen or bruising, may go away over time.... Read More

Some birth injuries would have occurred regardless of which actions the health care team took, but a tragic number could have been avoided if it were not for negligence or wrongdoing on the part of a medical professional. In such cases, medical malpractice may be present. For medical malpractice to exist, it must be proven... Read More

When a mother hears that her newborn baby suffered a birth injury, she is often not prepared for this news and doesn’t know much about birth injuries. So, when a mother hears the terms Erb’s palsy and shoulder dystocia used after her baby is born, she needs to understand the connections between the two birth... Read More