Among the more frequent kinds of birth injuries is an Erb's palsy injury which relates to the child's shoulder and arm. This may be a serious injury that in the most serious circumstances might leave the child with weak use of the arm even following surgery. In many cases the injury is avoidable. If this happens because of an error by a physician during the delivery procedure the parents may go after the doctor with a malpractice case on behalf of themselves and their child.
As an example, think about a reported lawsuit concerning a woman pregnant with her third baby. She was either borderline for or actually had gestational diabetes, disproportionate weight gain in the course of the pregnancy and had previously given birth two large babies. Roughly four months into the pregnancy the expectant mother's physician documented that the unborn child was larger than estimated by the gestational age. 3 months later the mother was borderline on her blood sugar test for gestational diabetes. An ultrasound done a brief time after that visit revealed the baby's weight at the 90th percentile. At her final prenatal consultation the day before the doctors planned to induce her labor the doctor documented the fundal height (a measurement of the uterus employed to evaluate fetal growth and development) at forty three centimeters. The woman was 40 weeks pregnant.
The following day the expectant mother was admitted at the hospital as planned. Once she was admitted, a different doctor took over her care. The hospital chart recorded her past borderline sugar test and that she was at high risk given past "large gestational age" babies. This
doctor did not, , test her glucose amount or make any effort to estimate the unborn child's weight before medically inducing her.
Approximately four hours after her admission towards the hospital her membranes spontaneously ruptured. Once this happened a substantial volume of meconium was witnessed. This is usually a sign that the baby is in danger and generally calls for an emergency C-section. Approximately forty minutes subsequently the doctor conducted a vaginal examination. The doctor noted that the woman was four centimeters dilated. The doctor placed a fetal scalp electrode which highlighted early decelerations. Although it was not noted in the case report, certain kinds of decelerations may be an indication of fetal distress. Just more than one hour later she was fully dilated. The nurse's notes included the existence of shoulder dystocia, the delivery of the infant's head, and also the use of suprapubic pressure to aid the delivery.
The baby weighed ten pounds 10 ounces ounces at birth. The newborn had a head circumference in the ninetieth percentile and was diagnosed with Erb's palsy. As she got older her arm atrophied due to her inability to use it. She has developmental delays and has cerebral palsy. The doctors did not monitor the mother for gestational diabetes but had ample knowledge that the baby was large prior to delivery. Nevertheless, they did not plan on a C-section and did not try a common method before employing traction to the baby's head. These steps may have averted the baby's injury. The parents pursued a malpractice case against the physicians. The law firm that handled the case documented that the claim settled for $900,000.
Author Resource:-
Joseph Hernandez is a lawyer accepting Erb's palsy matters. Visit the website for a free attorney consultation regarding erbs palsy and other birth injuries like group b strep injuries, cerebral palsy, an brachial plexus injuries.
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