When you’re giving birth to your child, you hope for everything to go smoothly. While it can for many families, there’s always a risk of birth injuries that can quickly alter the course of your child’s life. Severe birth injuries are often permanent and can prevent your child from being able to live a healthy, normal life. But how often do these injuries happen in Pennsylvania? Here’s what your Pennsylvania birth injury attorney wants you to know.
Birth Injuries Happen Every Year
It’s estimated hundreds of families across the state experience birth injuries each year. According to the National Practitioner Data Bank, there were more than 210 adverse action reports filed for conduct and events in obstetrics and gynecology in Pennsylvania during 2023. The extent and severity of those reports vary but many likely were linked to birth injuries that caused irreparable and life-altering harm.
Nationally, 7 of every 1,000 babies born will experience a birth injury. Some injuries may be unavoidable and can happen as a result of any but many are the direct result of a lack of caution during labor and delivery on the part of the medical care team.
The Most Common Birth Injuries in Pennsylvania
Ultimately, medical negligence is the main reason for birth injuries in the state. While there are dozens of birth injuries that can happen depending on the circumstances and experience of the medical care team involved, some are more common than others. Here are some of the most common birth injuries that Pennsylvania families experience:
- Brachial plexus nerve damage
- Bone fractures
- Brain injuries
- Cerebral palsy
- Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy
- Spinal cord injury
This is far from an extensive list. It’s possible that you or your child experienced a different birth injury that resulted in life-altering or catastrophic damage to your physical health. If you believe you suffered from a birth injury as a result of the hospital’s actions or the actions of your medical care team, speak with a Pennsylvania birth injury attorney as soon as possible.
Common Causes of Birth Injuries in Pennsylvania
Many birth injuries result from medical negligence, and the types of negligence that cause common birth injuries are often shared across many birth injury lawsuits. Here are a few common causes of the most common birth injuries resulting from medical negligence:
- Failure to monitor fetal health during labor
- Ignoring warning signs of distress
- Delays in emergency interventions
- Improper use of delivery instruments, including forceps and vacuum extractors
- Inadequate prenatal care
If you’re preparing for delivery, the best thing you and your loved ones can do is to be ready to advocate for yourself and your child. The medical care team may think they’re doing the right thing, but if you feel that something is wrong, let your doctor know immediately. And if the medical care team ignores your concerns, contact a patient advocate at the hospital or demand to speak to the charge nurse or the attending physician on duty.
You may be able to prevent common birth injuries by demanding that the medical team take your concerns seriously.
Don’t Hesitate to Speak With a Pennsylvania Birth Injury Attorney
If your child was injured during labor or delivery, or experienced a life-altering injury shortly after birth as a result of the medical care team’s negligence, speak with an attorney as soon as you can. The sooner you do, the sooner they can start investigating your case and help you determine if you’re eligible to file a lawsuit against the hospital and the medical care team involved in your care.
Schedule a Consultation Today
At Latona Law, we have decades of experience helping families coping with serious and life-altering birth injuries get the compensation they deserve. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.