Medical Malpractice During Childbirth
A birth injury can be such a bad event for you and your family. Your newborn could be permanently injury that will lead to his or her extensive medical treatment for the rest of their lives. The mother could be injured and unable to care for her newborn. Medical malpractice claims are often complicated because it does not motivate doctors or hospitals to admit guilt if something goes wrong. If you or a loved one have suffered a birth injury malpractice, you need experienced attorneys on your side who can fight for your claim. The Pittsburgh birth injury malpractice attorneys at Berger Lagnese & Paul, LLC have years of experience litigating and representing clients in birth injury cases. Contact us today to set up a consultation for your medical malpractice claim.
Childbirth Malpractice Lawyers in Pittsburgh, PA
There are many types of medical malpractice that can occur during the birth of your baby. Medical malpractice during the birth of your child can lead to serious injury or death. If your baby suffered serious injury or death during birth, you will need to know whether medical malpractice caused your baby’s injury. This article will identify and discuss some of the most common forms of medical malpractice that take place during childbirth.
- Failure to diagnose and appropriately respond to fetal distress. Fetal distress is caused by a lack of oxygen getting to your baby in the womb. When your baby fails to get adequate oxygen while in the womb, the baby’s heart rate begins to fluctuate in an abnormal way. Your baby’s abnormal heart rate patterns should be detected on the fetal heart rate monitor. If your baby’s heart rate does not return to normal within a short time, your baby is said to be in fetal distress. Babies in fetal distress need to be delivered as quickly as possible. If not, they can develop brain damage as a result of inadequate oxygen. This brain damage can lead to permanently disabling conditions such as cerebral palsy. One of the leading forms of medical malpractice during childbirth is the failure to detect fetal distress and to deliver a baby who is in fetal distress quickly enough.
- Failure to respond appropriately to maternal bleeding. Vaginal bleeding should not occur during labor and delivery. If vaginal bleeding occurs during labor or delivery it can be a sign that something is wrong with your placenta or uterus, for example, placental abruption or uterine rupture, both of which are medical emergencies. If you experience vaginal bleeding during your labor or delivery, your baby should be delivered as soon as possible. Any unnecessary delay in the delivery of your baby after you begin to bleed vaginally is most likely due to medical malpractice.
- Delay in ordering or performing a C-section. There are many reasons why your doctor should interrupt your labor, order a C-section, and deliver your baby as quickly as possible. Vaginal bleeding is a good example; fetal distress is another. Other examples include umbilical cord prolapse (when the umbilical cord appears in the birth canal before the fetus) and umbilical cord entrapment (when the umbilical cord wraps around the fetus’s neck). In any of these situations, if the baby is not delivered as quickly as possible, brain damage (often resulting in cerebral palsy) and/or death can occur quickly. Any delay in the delivery of your baby under these circumstances as a result of the failure to timely order and carry out a C-section may constitute medical malpractice.
- Misuse of forceps or vacuum extractor. The use of forceps or a vacuum extractor is not, in and of itself, medical malpractice. However, great care must obviously be exercised with these devices. If too much force is applied to forceps or a vacuum extractor, serious brain injuries, including intracranial bleeding, can result. These brain injuries can lead to the development of permanent disabilities such as cerebral palsy.
- Too much Pitocin. Pitocin is the brand name for synthetic oxytocin. Oxytocin is a naturally occurring hormone involved in the labor process. Pitocin is used to induce labor. However, too much Pitocin can result in serious maternal and fetal injury, such as uterine rupture, fetal asphyxia, fetal distress, and fetal heart rate irregularities.
These are some of the most frequently-occurring forms of medical malpractice during childbirth. If any of these examples sound similar to what you went through, you should contact a law firm experienced in handling cases of pregnancy-related medical malpractice. Berger Lagnese & Paul, LLC has a long and successful record of handling cases of childbirth-related medical malpractice.
Contact Our Pittsburgh Offices Today to Schedule Your Free Consultation for Your Childbirth Malpractice Claim
A birth injury can be especially troublesome for a family. It may leave the mother unable to care for her newborn child, or it may permanently impact the newborn. You need to fight for compensation from your doctor and/or hospital to help you deal with your expenses. The Pittsburgh medical malpractice attorneys at Berger Lagnese & Paul, LLC have been fighting for our clients in birth injury claims for years. If you have been injured at a local Pittsburgh area hospital, such as Forbes Hospital or St. Clair Hospital, you should contact our offices today to schedule your free consultation. Our office is located at 310 Grant St #720, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 and consultations can be scheduled either online here or over the phone at (412) 471-4300.