Birth Injuries – Birth Complications

The list of possible birth complications is endless. Proper medical care needs to be taken from the onset of the pregnancy through to the delivery and after. Every stage carries its own risks, possible complications and injuries. Most birth injuries are caused by improper medical care or by medical malpractice. Medical malpractice from birth complications is defined as the failure of healthcare professionals to provide the care and to undertake any necessary procedures that any other reasonably prudent healthcare professional would have carried out under the same circumstances.

Birth complications can lead to minor injuries, but in some cases can lead to death. Complications can arise in a variety of forms, ranging from the size of the baby, position of the baby or unforeseen circumstances during the delivery. Some of the more common complications that arise include; complications from babies that are over nine pounds in weight; babies that are premature (born before term or 37 weeks); a misdiagnosed medical condition called cephalopelvic disproportion where the mother’s pelvis is too small to deliver the baby naturally and baby’s distress due to prolonged labor or delay in performing a caesarian (C-section). These complications in severe cases can lead to brain damage to the baby and compromise the health of the mother as well.

If you feel that your baby has suffered significant, long-term, effects as a result of malpractice by the doctor, nurse, midwife or hospital during the birth process, a lawsuit can be brought against the individual or hospital in question. The validity of the case rests upon the circumstances and whether there is reasonable evidence to show that the hospital or individual did not provide the necessary care that would be expected from any other reasonably prudent healthcare professional.