Birth Injury Attorneys

Causes of Birth Injuries

Whenever a birth injury takes place, there are a variety of causes of the injury. Some of them are the doctor's doing while others should have been taken into account by the doctor and adjusted for adequately. Some of the most common causes of birth injuries are the baby's size, the size and shape of the mother's pelvis is inadequate, difficult or prolonged labor, and the baby's position.

The Baby's Size

If a baby weighs more than 8 pounds, 13 ounces or is born prematurely, he or she is more likely to experience birth injuries. In larger babies, there are often problems with delivery such as not moving through the process quickly enough. Premature babies are just more at risk for birth injuries because they are little.

Cephalopelvic Disproportion

This is just a medical way of saying that the mother's pelvis is not adequately shaped or positioned for the baby to be born naturally. This should be recognized by the doctor ahead of delivery but sometimes is missed. When things are not positioned well, the baby's progress through delivery can be impeded.

Dystocia

Dystocia is the fancy way of saying that the labor is taking a long time. Sometimes labor takes a long time for various reasons. Epidurals often slow things down. When labor takes a longer time than normal, there is a higher chance of either the mother or the baby going into distress. This then increases the possibility for problems.

The Baby's Position

When a baby is not positioned head-first for birth as is the norm, problems arise because the birth itself is just more complicated all around. The entire process takes longer when the position of the baby is backwards. Again, when the process is slowed down, there is a greater chance of things going wrong.

If your baby has been injured during birth, contact the birth injury attorneys of Williams Kherkher at 866.950.9000 to discuss your situation and to determine your legal options. Our lawyers are more than willing to discuss any questions you might have.