Most Births Go Well, But Mistakes Can Be Made

It'd be hard to think of a time when we are more vulnerable than at the time of our birth - that transition from one world to another. For many infants and their mothers, the shift is smooth and everything goes as planned.When the procedure doesn't go as it should, however, the results can be frightening and tragic.In late 2007, one Texas mother-to-be was brought into the hospital to have labor induced. At her obstetrician's instruction, Cametria Andrus was given a Cesarean section and her daughter was born - weighing only 3 pounds, 4 ounces.For the next 32 days, the newborn was tended to in the neonatal intensive care unit. Born a full month ahead of schedule, the little girl suffered from respiratory distress syndrome, jaundice, delayed neurologic development and severe anemia, which required a blood transfusion.In 2009, Andrus filed suit against her obstetrician, claiming negligence on his part for inducing labor a full month early, failing to assess the situation in a comprehensive manner and for failing to reveal the due date discrepancy to her.While the cause of injury in Andrus' case is uncommon, birthinjures, unfortunately, are not.For instance, birth injuries often occur when forceps or vacuum extraction is required during labor. These methods are fairly common when an infant must be rotated or repositioned, or when the mother becomes exhausted and can no longer push, but mistakes can and do occur. The use of forceps or vacuum extraction can cause a misshapen head, injury to the spinal cord,brain damage and painful tearing to the mother.When a mistakeis made during childbirth, lives can be changed irrevocably. Infants can face a lifetime of physical and/or mental deficiency. Mothers can also be injured and face high medical bills and lost wages. If you or your child has been injured by the negligence of your physician or hospital staff, you should seek the counsel of an experienced birth injury lawyer for advice on how best to proceed.