Even though you may have had a clear birth plan throughout your entire pregnancy, you may be unable to predict or control how your body or your baby is going to react during labor. With this, the medical professional may make the call to use medical devices to assist you in your birth delivery, such as a forcep or vacuum extractor. While these tools are meant to aid you, they may wind up hurting you if improperly handled. With that being said, please read on to discover how a vacuum extractor specifically might be used incorrectly and dangerously, and how a seasoned New York City forcep & vacuum extraction injuries attorney at Mark L. Bodner, P.C. can consult with you if you or your infant gets hurt as a result.
How might a medical professional use a vacuum extractor incorrectly?
First of all, a vacuum extractor is a medical device used during labor, in which a suction cup is placed on the baby’s head and suctions to help pull the baby through the birth canal. This device may be opted for if you are too exhausted to continue pushing during labor, if your baby is not progressing as expected, and/or if there are concerns over your baby’s potential distress.
With this device, the medical professional attending your birth delivery may gently pull on its handle during your contraction to assist your baby’s descent. However, if they are not properly trained and experienced in handling a vacuum extractor, they may make this procedure very risky. Also, they may fail to consider external factors that make it wrong to use a vacuum extractor overall. Such factors read as follows:
- If the position of the baby is unknown.
- If the baby is less than 36 weeks of age.
- If the baby’s skull has a deformity or edema.
- If the baby has brittle skull plates or a bleeding disorder.
- If the use of forceps during delivery has already failed.
- If the baby is too large and your pelvis is too small.
- If the suction cannot be placed on the correct part of the baby’s head due to its position.
How might the negligent use of a vacuum extractor cause injuries?
If a medical professional attempts to utilize a vacuum extractor even when the extenuating circumstances should point them in another direction, they may seriously injure your baby. Specifically, your baby may incur scalp or skull injuries (i.e., bruising, bleeding, fractures, edema, etc), a cervical fracture, spinal cord damage, facial injuries, eye trauma, cerebral palsy, or otherwise. Sadly, they may carry these injuries with them for the rest of their life, or worse, they may become life-threatening or life-ending.
You may get hurt, as well. Possible injuries may include perineum injury or tears (i.e., pain, scarring, infection, etc), uterine rupture, bladder problems, anemia, and more. All of this to say, if you or your baby get injured in any way from a vacuum extractor, you may be well within your right to pursue a medical malpractice claim. We understand that you must be eager to start this process. So, without further delay, please schedule your initial consultation with a competent New York City birth injury attorney from Mark L. Bodner, P.C. today.