The birth of a child should be an exciting and joyful time in parents’ lives; unfortunately, while bringing a child into the world is a wondrous thing, it can be devastating to learn that child has experienced a birth injury that can leave him/her incapacitated for the rest of his or her life.
There are many ways a child can experience an injury during the birthing process. Medical malpractice almost always plays a role in birth injuries. You will find a few of these listed below; however, please keep in mind that there can be many others:
- A heart rate change that goes unnoticed by medical personnel
- Jaundice or an infection that is not properly treated
- Injuries caused by forceps
- Cesarean section complications
- Medical personnel’s failure to respond to seizures
- Medical personnel’s improper use of vacuum extraction
Birth injuries not only impact the child; these injuries impact the entire family emotionally and financially; sometimes causing catastrophic financial losses. The Tavares, FL community is not immune to this devastation.
As an example: If a child experiences a birth injury causing cerebral palsy (CP), the child often needs special care and equipment on a day-to-day basis for the rest of his life since many of them are confined to wheel chairs due to their lack of motor skills/coordination. In addition, while studies indicate that CP does not progress over time, some studies indicate CP often causes an individual to age faster.
Some questions to ask if your child has experienced a birth injury:
- If your child has cerebral palsy, what caused it?
- How do I know if my child’s disability is the result of a birth injury?
- What is Florida’s statute of limitations for birth injuries?
If you believe your child’s birth injury is the result of negligence by medical personnel, contact Oldham & Smith Tavares, FL Medical Malpractice Birth Injury Lawyers today for a free consultation.