Bringing new life into this world is a precious experience. Doctors, midwives, and nurses are all supposed to help you give birth as safely and healthily as possible for you and your baby. Sometimes, though, those medical professionals make mistakes that end up harming your or your baby through the birthing process. When that happens, it’s understandable that you would want to seek justice for what happened to you or your baby.
A birth injury has the potential to cause life-long damage to you or your baby, and you could incur more medical costs than expected. A Marion birth injury lawyer from Prince Law Firm will listen to your entire experience and help you decide how to proceed and get justice for the injuries. Our attorneys are well-versed in Illinois medical malpractice laws and will ensure that you get full and fair compensation for the injuries that you or your baby suffered.
Common Birth Injuries in Illinois
When you give birth, you expect everything to go perfectly. When you or your baby are instead hurt, you might be confused about the added pain of your birthing experience or the unnecessary permanent damage inflicted on your baby. It’s important to know the different kinds of common birth injuries so that you don’t feel alone and know that it’s possible to seek justice for these experiences. Here are some of the most common birth injuries that happen in Illinois:
- Brachial plexus. When the brachial plexus nerves, or the nerves between the neck and shoulder, are stretched or compressed during birth, there could be lasting effects on your baby. Depending on the exact location of the nerve injury, this could affect anywhere from just the baby’s hand to their entire arm. About 3 in 1,000 babies are affected by this birth injury.
- Brain damage. If a baby does not get enough oxygen throughout the birthing process, they could risk getting brain damage. That damage can impact the rest of the child’s life in many ways, including Cerebral Palsy. Although only a small percentage of CP diagnoses come from lack of oxygen before, during, or after birth, it is still possible.
- Bone fractures. When the doctor uses too much force to get the baby out of the canal, uses tools that put too much pressure on a specific body part like forceps or vacuums, or if the baby becomes pinned in any way inside its mother, then this could lead to bone fractures. The most commonly fractured bones are clavicles.
- Meconium aspiration. Although this is a rare birth injury, it can cause serious damage. When the baby passes stool, also known as meconium, while inside the womb, they could potentially inhale or aspirate it, which can cause brain damage or damage to the baby’s lungs.
- Spinal cord damage. If a baby is mishandled during or after birth and is twisted or handled too roughly around their neck or back, they could suffer from spinal cord damage. This could lead to temporary or permanent paralysis for the newborn or could even lead to death in serious cases.
- Facial paralysis. Many of these injuries have to do with a baby’s nerves, and this one is no different. If the facial nerve is damaged during birth, then the baby could suffer from facial paralysis for the rest of their life.
- Preeclampsia. Preeclampsia can be dangerous for both the mother and the baby. If a mother has especially high blood pressure during pregnancy, it can cause damage to her organs, limit her baby’s growth, cause birth complications, give her seizures, and have other dangerous side effects for her and her baby.
- Epidural. Epidurals are commonly used to lessen the pain of delivering a baby, but sometimes they can be harmful to mothers and babies. Sometimes they can cause seizures, dizziness, nerve damage, and other negative side effects in mothers, and can negatively affect the baby as well if too much of the medication is given, it’s given in the wrong area, or if the mother is allergic.
Marion, IL Birth Statistics
The number of births each year are on a decline in Illinois. According to the Illinois Department of Health, there were over 144,000 babies born in 2018. That may seem like a large amount, but compared to previous years, it’s not quite as many. In 2017, there were over 149,000 births, and the year before that, there were over 154,000 births. Each year, the number of babies born is falling by around 5,000.
Let’s look at the birthing statistics in our county alone. The Illinois Department of Health reported that 476 babies were born in Marion County in 2018. While this was an increase from the previous year’s number of births, it is a drastic decrease from the year before that. Of those births in 2018, 44 had a low birth weight, and 6 had very low birth weight. 54 of the babies were born preterm and 146 were born via cesarean section. All of these factors could potentially lead to birth injuries for the baby and mother.
Prince Law Firm Will Represent You
Your Marion birth injury lawyer from Prince Law Firm knows how difficult this time can be for you. Giving birth can be a long and painful process, and when you and your baby are injured from your birthing team’s negligence, it can affect the rest of your life. Although it might seem intimidating, filing a medical malpractice claim against the doctor or nurse who injured you or your baby is the best way to get justice for the damage done.
Birth injuries could cause life-long difficulties for your child. Although a lawsuit will not be able to reverse the damage, it could recover financial compensation to help you get the care your child will need for the rest of their life. Our attorneys at Prince Law Firm in Marion, IL, will fight for you so that you can get the justice you deserve. Reach out to our office today so that we can get started on your case.
