Child Birth Injury in Oregon

Many people visualize what their lives will be like. Their wedding day, their careers, even the families they’ll have. They visualize holding their child for the first time, what it will be like to be a parent, and what kind of people their children will turn out to be. What they never visualize is having to care for a child that has been the victim of injury during the birth process due to negligence or malpractice. If you’re going through this scenario, you may want to contact and engage the services of an experienced Oregon attorney.

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 Oregon.

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 Oregon 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.

While many frequently focus on injuries to a child during the birthing process, there is also a risk of injury to the mother. The Oregon Clinic gives an overview of injuries that can occur during childbirth, and how to manage recovery.

The most common injuries occur in or around the pelvic floor; however, this is a more complex area than most realize. The pelvic floor includes and affects the surrounding muscles and nerves, reproductive organs, bladder and urethra, and even the anus and rectum.

If your pelvic floor has been injured during childbirth due to negligence or malpractice, you may want to contact an experienced attorney in Oregon.

Even further, there are quite a few scenarios that may cause a child to sustain an injury while being born in Oregon. 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. Oregon 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 Oregon 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 Oregon?

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

Gestational Diabetes

According to the Center for Disease Control, gestational diabetes can occur when a mother’s body is failing to produce enough insulin during her pregnancy. This can be particularly dangerous for mother’s and their unborn children, as there are no symptoms for gestational diabetes. However, if a mother develops gestational diabetes, this can lead to a larger baby weight, and a difficult delivery.

Growth Plate Fractures

Growth plate fractures are injuries that can occur with infants, but are hard to gauge because they do not show up on x-rays. According to Very Well Health, growth plates begin as very soft cartilage, and are very prone to injury in the early days of infancy. These injuries can occur during difficult births when a child is forcibly pulled from the birth canal.

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 Oregon, 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 Center for Disease Control reports that Oregon boasts one of the lowest infant mortality rates in the United States. Currently the infant mortality rate in Oregon sits at 4.0 infant deaths for every 1,000 live births that occur. Still, if your child has suffered an injury during the birthing process, you may want to engage the services of an experienced Oregon attorney.

Work With an Experienced Local Child Birth Injury Lawyer in Oregon

If you expect birth injury medical malpractice in Oregon, 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 Oregon 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!

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