What Is An AGPAR Score?

Pregnant women may sometimes require assisted delivery through the use of medical instruments to help the baby’s passage through the birth canal. In such cases, the doctor uses either a vacuum device or forceps to aid childbirth. An assisted delivery may be necessary if the mother is undergoing a lengthy, difficult labor and is too...

New research indicates the drug erythropoietin may be effective in protecting babies from brain damage. Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) is a dangerous complication that can occur during delivery. Newborns suffer brain damage due to oxygen deprivation in the nervous system, which can cause debilitating birth injuries such as cerebral palsy and even death if left...

A Florida woman has filed a lawsuit against a certified nurse midwife (CNM), alleging that the midwife’s negligence caused her baby to experience a brachial plexus injury during childbirth. According to the complaint, Barbara Carroll, CNM, did not provide appropriate care to the woman, who had been diagnosed with gestational diabetes and had already been...

Doctors and hospitals are using past medical malpractice cases to avoid repeating mistakes that could put patients at risk and give rise to future claims. Shoulder dystocia was found to occur the most frequently among the birth injury lawsuits examined. According to The Wall Street Journal, malpractice insurers and medical specialty groups are analyzing thousands...

A West Palm Beach, Florida, couple has filed a birth injury lawsuit against an obstetrician who they claim caused their son’s cerebral palsy by choosing to extract him with a vacuum pump instead of allowing a natural delivery. The boy, now 16 years old, was born with the condition on March 6, 1998, and currently...

A recent study found that glyburide, a drug used to treat gestational diabetes, is associated with a number of serious birth complications. The drug, which has increased in use over the last decade, was associated with hypoglycemia, high birth weight, respiratory distress and birth injuries. In addition to being more likely to have complications, babies...

Erb’s palsy is a birth injury that limits a child’s ability to use the affected shoulder, arm and hand in a “typical” capacity. Medical professionals may advise a course of treatment that includes daily at-home exercises and prescribed movements. These are intended to help the child regain mobility, prevent atrophy and promote healing. Surgery may...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

If your child has suffered a birth injury due to the negligence of doctors or medical staff, you may be considering taking legal action to pursue fair compensation for medical expenses. Birth injuries can have a lasting impact on your child’s life and will likely require constant medical care. There are a number of important...

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...

Some common birth injuries associated with C-sections include: Facial or body cuts Fractures Spinal cord injuries In addition to these common C-section birth injuries, other risks are present if the anesthesiologist did not administer the drug properly during a C-section delivery procedure. These potential injuries include low blood pressure, blood clots, and internal bleeding. There...

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...

First it is important to note that not all birth injuries are caused by medical malpractice, so not every injury is grounds for a lawsuit. However, there are several types of birth injuries that are often caused by mistakes on the part of doctors or other medical personnel. When that is the case, the families...

Parents of injured children often struggle with questions such as – Should I hire an attorney to pursue compensation in a birth injury claim? The answer depends on the extent and cause of the injury. An attorney can provide legal representation if a parent believes a doctor or hospital’s mistake caused a birth injury, such...