A child that has suffered a serious birth injury can be left with long-term or even permanent issues. As a parent to a child that has suffered a birth injury, you likely want to hold the physician or hospital that caused the injury accountable for their actions. Your child should not have to live with an injury due to the negligent actions of a physician. If you wish to file a medical malpractice lawsuit against a doctor that injured your child, contact an experienced Baltimore medical malpractice attorney.
At Bennett & Heyman, P.A., we understand the difficulty of trying to help your child overcome a serious birth injury, and we are here for you. The malpractice attorneys at our firm possess decades of combined legal experience, and we are ready to use this experience to help you pursue the compensation you deserve. To schedule a free legal consultation to discuss your claim, contact Bennett & Heyman, P.A., at (410) 429-7890, or contact us online.
Birth Injuries that Require Surgery
Many birth injuries are the result of a medical practitioner that failed to act appropriately when delivering a child. While some birth injuries that an infant suffers are mild and will heal over time, other injuries may leave a child with long-term or permanent issues. In some cases, a child will require additional treatment and even surgery to correct a disorder caused by a birth injury. The following is a list of birth injuries that may require surgery.
Erb’s Palsy
Erb’s palsy is a disorder that affects the brachial plexus, a bundle of nerves in a person’s shoulder, arm, and hand. If a child suffers an injury to their brachial plexus, this can cause the child to experience paralysis in their arm.
Erb’s palsy is often the result of shoulder dystocia. This is when a child’s shoulders get caught in the mother’s birth canal. This scenario must be handled immediately to avoid injury to a child. Unfortunately, some doctors will fail to act appropriately to ensure the safety of a child stuck in the birth canal.
If an infant’s shoulder and arm are seriously damaged due to Erb’s palsy, the infant may have to undergo nerve grafting to possibly increase movement in their arm.
Head Trauma
Head trauma can occur in a number of ways. For example, if a physician neglects to consider the possibility of a C-section to deliver a child who is larger than average, there is a risk the child’s head could become stuck inside the birth canal. When this happens, a child could have a skull fracture or could suffer bleeding in their brain.
Another reason that head injuries occur to infants is the misuse of birthing tools by a physician. For example, if a doctor uses a vacuum suction incorrectly when delivering a child, the child could suffer a serious head injury.
To determine whether a child suffered head trauma, an ultrasonography of the child’s head will likely be performed. Depending on the diagnosis revealed by this test, the surgery needed to treat the head trauma may vary. For example, a craniotomy drainage may be needed if the child developed blood clots or a similar disorder due to hospital negligence.
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy is a disorder that makes it difficult for the brain to communicate with the rest of the body. This means that a child living with cerebral palsy can suffer from muscle spasms and have a difficult time controlling their muscles entirely. Cerebral palsy is typically the result of an injury to a child, like being mishandled by a doctor at birth.
One type of surgery that can help treat cerebral palsy is orthopedic surgery. Orthopedic surgery is used to increase the length of a tendon or even add a tendon to a bone. Another common option to treat cerebral palsy is selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR). SDR alleviates spasms and tightness in a child’s legs by stimulating a person’s sensory nerve fibers.
If your child suffered a birth injury that requires surgery due to the negligence of a medical practitioner, we could help you file a medical malpractice claim. Our firm can assist you in gathering evidence to determine whether you have a valid medical malpractice claim against the doctor or hospital responsible for your pregnancy.
Work with Our Experienced Baltimore Birth Injury Lawyer Today
If your child was the victim of a birth injury and requires surgery, contact an experienced Baltimore birth injury lawyer. At Bennett & Heyman, P.A., we believe that no child should be the victim of a birth injury due to the negligence of a medical practitioner. To schedule a free consultation to discuss your legal options, contact Bennett & Heyman, P.A. at (410) 429-7890.
