The most serious birth injuries are those that affect a newborn baby’s skull and brain. During birth, the baby’s head is very vulnerable to serious injury. An infant’s brain tissue can easily be injured during birth by a lack of oxygen, or because of bleeding within the skull or brain during the birth process.
Injuries also take place when excessive force is applied to the baby during delivery, sometimes with forceps, vacuum devices, or through the improper maneuvers in attempting to deliver a large baby in relation to the size of the mother. If the delivery team fails to reasonably and accurately anticipate the size and weight of the infant, the result may be a stressful delivery. New York birth injury lawyer Mark Bodner knows all too well that a difficult delivery can lead to prolonged bleeding in the baby’s brain, with severe long-term effects. It may also result in an Erb’s Palsy injury.
What are Cerebral Palsy and Erb’s Palsy?
Two of the most common birth injuries are known as Cerebral Palsy and Erb’s (or brachial plexus) palsy. Our New York birth injury attorneys see these diagnoses as red flags: both Cerebral Palsy and Erb’s palsy are all too often the result of an avoidable birth injury – or medical negligence (malpractice).
Erb’s Palsy is an injury to the brachial plexus nerves in the newborn baby which results in permanent weakness or paralysis of the baby’s shoulders, and occasionally their arms, as well. Erb’s Palsy often occurs when the baby’s shoulders have been a problem during delivery, and as the baby is pushed or pulled through the birth canal. Sometimes, a baby also suffers a broken collarbone or clavicle.
Cerebral palsy is permanent brain injury which can result in a number of different symptoms as the baby grows, including abnormal muscle tone, insufficient muscle tone, developmental delays in movement (rolling over, crawling, sitting up, walking), problems with balance, loss of sight, loss of hearing, epilepsy, and learning difficulties.
To discuss your case with an experienced medical malpractice attorney, contact Mark L. Bodner, P.C.