Child Birth Injury in Connecticut

Many people dream of the day they will be a parent. Holding their newborn in their arms, and watching milestones like walking and talking. However, many people can wake up from this dream if their child incurs an injury during the birth process. The Connecticut Senate recently passed a law that mandates insurance plans cover newborns in the state. The coverage includes sickness benefits, birth abnormalities, and congenital defects.

What Causes a Childbirth Injury?

While enduring delivery, was a medical professional negligent towards you and did damage occur as a result? If so, affected parents have a chance of bringing a medical malpractice lawsuit for compensation in Connecticut.

During the labor and delivery process, timing and action are two crucial elements. Sometimes an infant suffers a birth injury. This can mean that a medical practitioner either made a poor judgment call or failed to act appropriately. However, if the Connecticut medical provider’s actions go against the standard of care, then it may fit the legal definition of negligence.

To prove birth injury, negligence must have a direct connection to the damage. One of the most unfortunate elements of childbirth injury is not discovering the effects right away. Some injuries are discernible immediately after they happen. However, things that affect the brain may not be evident until developmental milestones come, and are not reached.

The Connecticut Judicial Law Library lists cases of medical malpractice regarding instances of childbirth injury. Recently the Connecticut Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s decision regarding a doctor who had made an incision to assist a mother giving birth, but the doctor failed to close the incision. Injuries were suffered, and the family successfully sued in court.

Even further, there are quite a few scenarios that may cause a child to sustain an injury while being born in Connecticut. One of the following examples may apply to your circumstances.

• Improper Vacuum Usage

Sometimes a mother has difficulties delivering a baby through the birth canal. Connecticut medical professionals may intervene and use a vacuum to assist. The machine is a standard instrument that can help suction the baby down and out of the birth canal. The vacuum attaches to the baby’s head or shoulders. Nurses and doctors are responsible for placing it appropriately. However, sometimes the vacuum is not attached where it should be. This error can cause severe injury to the mother and the infant during childbirth.

• Improper Use of Forceps

There are other options when a mother is having difficulty delivering her child. For example, the baby can be improperly positioned in the womb. Attending medical professionals may use forceps to help move it through the birthing canal. Appropriate use of forceps reduces oxygen deprivation. This tool also reduces the chances of fetal distress that can result in birth injuries.

Still, the medical professionals that are birthing a child must use extreme care. The improper use of forceps can cause severe injuries to the head. Additionally, this device can also cause nerve damage in the neck or the chest.

• Hypoxia

Hypoxia is a medical condition that occurs when the brain of a baby is not receiving enough oxygen. The most common cause before and during delivery is the umbilical cord becoming tangled around the baby’s neck.

This condition often occurs due to a damaged or infected placenta. Thankfully, most Connecticut medical professionals can identify hypoxia well in advance. As a result, they can intercede to eliminate the chances of the infant or the mother facing harm.

However, if the professional medical staff does not take action quickly enough, asphyxiation may occur. This can result in causing a child to develop severe physical or mental disabilities. Accordingly, medical staff may be liable for any damages that happened.

• Cesarean Section Delay

An emergency C-section may be necessary due to an infant fetal distress. This medical event occurs when the heartbeat of the infant drops because of the mother’s blood pressure. In addition, this condition can happen when there is a placental abruption or other breathing difficulties.

In truth, there are several reasons why a doctor may perform a C-section. For example, the baby could be in the wrong position or fail to descend into the birth canal. Another qualifying situation is when the mother has labored without dilation.

In these and other circumstances, the doctor may determine whether this procedure needs to happen. It may be the only way to safely birth the baby without further damage. But, the medical staff may wait too long to perform a cesarean. If so, the consequences for mother and child could be quite grave.

What Are Some Other Possible Causes of Childbirth Injury in Connecticut?

Other types of medical neglect that could result in injuries to the child or the birth mother include:

• Failing to perform sufficient prenatal testing
• Not using labor-inducing drugs timely
• Failing to diagnose or treat infections, umbilical cord entrapment, placental abruption, premature rupture of the membranes or placenta previa
• Not addressing changes in the baby’s condition

Growth Plate Fractures

Very Well Health lists a bevy of injuries that can occur with infants during childbirth. One of these is a fracture to the growth plate. The area of most rapid growth of the bones begins as softer cartilage and is more prone to injury. These injuries do not show up on an x-ray.

Birth Mother

Pregnancy Birth and Baby also states that there can be significant risk of injury to the mothers during birth. Almost 3 in 4 women that deliver vaginally experience some type of perineal trauma; this is most typically a tear or surgical cut in the area between the vagina and the anus. Women giving birth could also experience nerve damage, muscle damage, and even pelvic organ prolapse.

Why Should You Take Action for Your Child Birth Injury?

It is essential that any parent whose child has been diagnosed with a birth injury in Connecticut, take action to seek financial compensation. The most practical reason to pursue a childbirth injury lawsuit is to protect your financial future. A child and their mother may have to deal with a lifetime of setbacks and disabilities. The costs for treatment, medical equipment, and medications can overwhelm your budget quickly. As well, the trajectory of your life or your child’s can depend on pursuing civil action.

The March of Dimes provides birthing statistics for the state of Connecticut. In 2019, 150 infants died in the birthing process, averaging out to 4.4 deaths per 1,000 live births. 1 in 11 infants was born preterm, and 1 in 13 was born at a low birth weight. If you believe your child has suffered injury during childbirth, you may want to seek the counsel of an experienced attorney in Connecticut.

Work With an Experienced Local Child Birth Injury Lawyer in Connecticut

If you expect birth injury medical malpractice in Connecticut, you should take action. Cases can vary sharply depending on the state in which the injury occurs. Find a local child birth injury lawyer to navigate the often difficult waters of birth injury lawsuits. We can even help you connect with an attorney across Connecticut state lines.

Submit a request online or call us today at (866) 345-6784 to get in touch with an experienced lawyer in your area!