NICA – Permanent Disability Fund For Birth Injury Babies

Induced labor may help reduce the chances of shoulder dystocia for pregnant women giving birth to larger-than-average babies. Earlier in 2015, researchers at Geneva University Hospitals in Switzerland studied labor induction as an option to decrease the risk of shoulder dystocia during delivery. They found that one case of shoulder dystocia was prevented for every... Read More

A new study has found that babies born through cesarean sections are at a higher risk of developing chronic health ailments such as obesity, asthma and type-1 diabetes later in life than infants born vaginally. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 32 percent of newborns in the United States are delivered... Read More

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

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

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

The Florida Supreme Court is assessing a cerebral palsy lawsuit that has raised questions about whether there should be caps on attorney fees in birth injury cases. The case involves a child diagnosed with a debilitating form of cerebral palsy that has left him wheelchair-bound and in need of constant care. The child’s mother alleged... Read More

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... Read More

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... 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

In June 2015, The Federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services launched an investigation into the unusually high mortality rate among infants who underwent open heart surgery between 2011 and 2013 at St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida. The investigation was triggered by a CNN report which stated that 12.5% of infant... Read More

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... Read More

The United States has a high caesarean-section rate of 32.5 percent in comparison to the average of 28 percent among developed nations. The high rate has been controversial as the surgical procedure is not always medically necessary. While C-sections may be performed due to a woman’s personal preference, in some cases they are required for... 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

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

A doctor may be responsible for Erb’s palsy in cases of medical negligence. The doctor’s error could occur during prenatal care, labor or delivery. Additionally, a failure to diagnose and begin treatment for Erb’s palsy may signal negligence. Parents may pursue compensation in a birth injury claim stemming from a doctor’s mistake. Compensation can address... Read More

A birth injury can be devastating for the parents and have lifelong effects for the child. Many birth injuries lead to disabilities that require extensive care. In some cases, parents may wonder if a medical mistake was the cause of their child’s birth injury, but they are unsure how to proceed. Not every medical condition... Read More

It is important that parents file a medical malpractice lawsuit before the Statute of Limitations expires. In Florida, the Statute of Limitations for medical malpractice is either within two years of when the injury occurred or within two years of when the injury was (or should have been) identified, whichever is later. In addition, the... Read More