Parents and Birth Injuries

Even newborn infants are not immune to personal injuries. During pregnancy or delivery, mistakes by doctors and medical staff can lead to permanent and painful birth injuries for the child. Some of the more serious injuries, such as cerebral palsy and Erb’s palsy, can lead to a lifetime of pain and medical treatments.

The number of infant deaths from birth injuries is low (less than 2 percent). However, there are about 800,000 people in the United States living with cerebral palsy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Every year, there are approximately 10,000 new reported cases of the painful birth injury, which results from brain damage during pregnancy or birth.

While cerebral palsy is not a life-threatening condition, there is no cure for it. Cerebral palsy caused by brain injuries during birth or untreated seizures shortly after birth contribute to 10 – 15 percent of all instances of cerebral palsy. Parents of cerebral victims are faced with expensive medical treatments and rehabilitation for their child.

Parents often want answers as to how did it happen to their child and could it have been prevented? Consulting a medical malpractice attorney experienced in birth injury lawsuits is a good resource for parents with questions.

Did your child suffer an injury from a medical mistake?