Chicago Birth Injury Lawyer Blog

Many readers have likely heard the word “midwife” to describe those who help mothers give birth, usually outside of the traditional hospital context. However, our Illinois birth injury attorneys were interested in reading a story this week on a different name for those who help expectant mothers both before, during, and after birth—Doula. “Doula” is actually an ancient Greek word that means “woman’s servant.”

A recent Southeast Missourian story discussed the role of doulas, and the way that they work to help women have good pregnancy experiences and deliveries void of birth injuries. Most community members have likely never heard of the term before, and are unfamiliar with how it differs from a midwife. One local doula claims that she has perfected the two sentence soundbite to explain the profession, noting:

“I’m there for hands-on physical, emotional, and educational support before, during, and after childbirth. I’m kind of like a paid labor coach. I explain the process more than the doctor has time for and remind moms what they learned in childbirth class.”

This particular doula explains that she started in the profession because she herself had a bad birth experience. Our Chicago birth injury lawyers have learned that many midwives first became involved in the practice the same way—following a birth injury that they suffered themselves. The doula noted that in her case she wanted a natural birth but did not educate herself enough about what that meant. As a result her pregnancy ended with an induced birth, the use of forceps, and episiotomy, and severe postpartum depression afterwards.

Following her personal ordeal the woman decided to help others avoid her mistake. She began studying about osbtetrics, midwifery, and breast-feeding. She was eventually certified by the Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association. She now serves as a doula as well as an independent childbirth educator and certified lactation consultant.

She explained that once she is hired by parents as a doula she works alongside doctors and nurses in the hospitals or a midwife in the home during the birth. During the birth she helps the mother to find her “zone,” staying calm, and remembering what she had learning about proper breathing. Beyond the actually aid and comfort during the delivery, the doula also spends much time helping before and after the birth. She meets with parents to discuss the birthing plan and coping mechanisms. The doula helps during the “pushing” part of the birth and then a few hours after the birth to ensure that the mother is doing alright and that the breast-feeding is going well. In addition, the doula makes a few visits to the family after the birth to check on the breast-feeding, discuss the overall birth experience, and screen for postpartum depression.

The doula urged readers to consider having help through the process. She explained that historically the role was performed by mothers and sisters. However, with changing times that family network is often unavailable in these situations. The doula believes that she helps make the life of the doctors or midwives easier, and acts as a vital resource for both mothers and fathers.

See Our Related Blog Posts:

The Connection Between Birth Defects and Antidepressants

Birth Injuries – Could There Be a Link to Autism?

Discussion about the merits, drawbacks, and concerns related to C-section births continues across the blogosphere this week. Yesterday the chairman of the Department of Medicine at Cedars-Sinai wrote an editorial in the Huffington Post reiterating the risks of C-section births, particularly for those mothers who have already had one performed. Our Chicago birth injury attorneys have long been attuned to these concerns. It is vital that medical caregivers (and expectant mothers) take heed of these warning to ultimately ensure potential complications during delivery and birth injuries are minimized.

The doctor explained that C-section births currently account for just short of 33% of all births in the United States. The number has been rising over the years, but it remained steady for the first time ever in the last two years. While the stall in the increase is encouraging, much more work needs to be done to get the level down to that where it is performed only when absolutely necessary. To keep this decades-long problem into perspective, in 1970 the rate of C-section birth was only 5%. This increase is a problem because, as the chairmen of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Cedars-Sinai noted, “despite the rise in the number of C-sections, there is no evidence that it has improved the health of mothers or babies.” In fact, as our birth injury lawyers have pointed out recently, there has been an increase in the number of maternal deaths in recent years.

After noting that there are many different reasons for the increase, one disturbing factor is that there has been a shortage of vaginal births after C-sections. These procedures, known as VBACs, have lost fashion in the medical community under the idea that “once a C-section, always a C-section.” Right now only 8% of the women who have had a C-section once give birth vaginally afterwards. C-section births are inherently more risky than vaginal births, because they come with the potential for surgical complications otherwise not present in vaginal births.

The story’s author notes that those VBAC rates are far lower than they need to be. Those medical facilities that prioritize VBACs have been able to safely increase the rate from 8% to 35%. In the past research has suggested that there are increased risks of certain birth injuries (such as uterine rupture) when woman have VBACs. Obviously those concerns must be taken into account. However, newer research from the American College of Gynecologists and Obstetricians release new information which explained that better identification of risk factors among VBAC candidates can allow those risks to be eliminated.

Interestingly recent expert panels have explained that those who go through labor after a C-section have a decreased risk of maternal death. This is true whether one continues through with the vaginal birth or whether a C-section is ultimately required. At the end of the story the doctor notes that a C-section “remains a major surgery with major risks.” Therefore pregnant woman should fully explore all of their options with talking with doctors about how they’d like to proceed.

See Our Related Blog Posts:

Dramatic Rise in Cesarean Births

Report Finds Recent Rise in C-Section Births

Late last year we reported on the world’s largest study of the fear of childbirth. The mother’s emotional state and mental health at the time of the birth has been found to influence the smoothness of the delivery. While the research project is still underway, those involved admitted that they expected to find a connection between the mother’s mental preparation, anxiety, and expectations about the birth and the presence or lack of birth injuries. Suffice to say, having a healthy outlook on the process may be of growing important for expectant mothers.

This is of particularly interest to our Chicago birth injury attorneys, because the vast majority of our cases are rooted in a similar set of circumstances: a traumatic birth arises and doctors do not act appropriately (or quickly) in response. Whether or not a birth is traumatic may very well be influenced by the mental state of the mother at the time. Therefore, actions which may calm the expectant mother—particularly those that harbor deep-seated fear of the process—may go a long way to limiting birth injuries and other preventable complications.

Keeping that background in mind might help explain why a unique concept known as “hypnobirthing is growing in popularity. WSET News published a story on the process late last week. As the name implies, hypnobirthing refers to the use of hypnosis to help calm a mother before and during labor. At a basic level the goal is to help the mother deal with the intense physical and mental pain associated with childbirth. One mother interviewed for the story noted something rarely heard about the birthing process, explaining: “I was calm and relaxed. I was actually comfortable for an entire seven-hour delivery.”

The hypnosis is most often used as a replacement for traditional pain medication options during the delivery. Many who have used the mental service report that instead of taking medicine they go to a “relaxed place.” Unlike what most readers likely think about when they hear hypnosis, hypnobirthing involves “self hypnosis.” This is much different from the stage hypnosis that is found at comedy clubs and entertainment shows. Self hypnosis is different than being put in a trance by a third party. Instead, it is about an individual arriving at a place of relaxation by controlling their own mind. In this way, it is perhaps best thought of as meditation.

Our birth injury lawyers know that many local early start parenting classes now offer hypnobirthing classes. Many of those who try it have reported happy results, and, as we already noted, it may help lead to a decrease in the risk of a birth injury. One local hypnobirthing coach argues that the hypnosis allows the mother’s body to react less intensely to the pain of birth, compared with a mother who is nervous or stressed. Another positive side effect is the increased prevalence of natural births for those who try hypnosis. C-section births are skyrocketing nationwide, often among parents who have a fear of natural birth. While C-section births are sometimes essential, they still come with increased risks of complications. All efforts that produce safe, natural births should continue to be explored.

See Our Related Blog Posts:

Latest Research Shows First C-Setion Rate Decline in Fifteen Years

OB/GYN Calls For Return to Natural Childbirth

Virtually all families who have a child develop a birth defect immediately ask the simple question: Why? Each Chicago birth injury lawyer at our firm, having worked on many cases of this sort, knows that the answers are never easy to give. Medical practitioners usually do their best to explain how a defect can arise, but in certain instances knowledge about the problem remains sparse. The fact is there is still much we do not know about exactly why certain problems arise over the course of a pregnancy and what can been done to prevent those problems.

Yet that is not to say that prevention is always impossible for birth defects. On the contrary, medical researchers have made amazing progress over the years in their efforts to slowly piece together the mysteries of the child development process—uncovering important information along the way about how to give the fetus the best chance possible of developing without a defect or birth injury. One point that is universally agreed upon is that proper prenatal care is critical in increasing the chance of giving birth to a full-term healthy infant.

One important issue is that many birth defects happen at the very beginning of a pregnancy. This presents a challenge, because it is means that the problems may arise even before a woman knows that she is pregnant at all. Because of that, pregnancy planning is often thought of as one of the best ways to prevent birth defects. Knowing that a pregnancy is coming can allow a woman to being taking certain vitamins that are beneficial in the development. Similarly, soon-to-be mothers can begin avoiding drugs or medications that may be harmful to the child. Many children have suffered debilitating (or even fatal) birth injuries simply because the mother ingested some substances in the first few weeks of the pregnancy without knowing that she was with child.

Beyond that, experts in this area report that there are a few basic steps that all women can take to help prevent defects:

1. Use Folic Acid: This vitamin supplement is beneficial for all women of reproductive age. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that taking 400 micrograms of folic acid every day is critical for pregnant women. A lack of folic acid has been linked to spina bifida (a congenital spine defect) as well as anencephaly (an absence of parts of the brain or skill).

2. Avoid alcohol: While some have suggested that a glass of wine a night or week might be acceptable, most still believe that there is no reason for a woman to do so while pregnant (or expecting pregnancy).

3. Don’t smoke: Obviously smoking is bad for both the mother and developing child. Specific risks include premature birth, cleft lip, and cleft palate. In fact, even secondhand smoke can affect a child, and so air quality should always be a concern for expectant mothers.

4. Consult Doctors About Medications: Over the counter drugs like Motrin or Ibuprofen can have serious negative consequences for a child, often causing miscarriages or heart defects. This also goes for those who are trying to conceive a child, as even small amounts in the earliest stages of the pregnancy can cause damage

5. Control diabetes: Repeatedly unstable blood sugar levels during pregnancy can have a wide range of complications for the child, including shortened limbs. It is important to keep it under control.

The Chicago birth injury attorneys at our firm encourage all mothers to practice good prenatal care. Ask your physician if at any time you have questions about how something may affect a child’s development.

See Our Related Blog Posts:

Family of Injured Boy Seeks Approval of $30M Award in Birth Injury Lawsuit

New Test to Detect Heart Defect Birth Injuries

Medical News Today shared interesting information this week on a new in-utero procedure that has been found to improve the survival rates for infants with a unique diaphragm birth defect. The injury in question, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, is a birth defect caused essentially by the development of a hole in the infant’s diaphragm. This hole leads to a pulmonary hypoplasia, which is an incomplete development of the lungs. Frequent blog readers will be aware that improper lung development leads to a wide range of problems for children. For example, if lungs are not fully developed at birth, the child’s brain may not receive enough oxygen, causing permanent brain damage. Of course, in many cases the permanent malformation of the lungs proves fatal and the child does not survive.

However, a new study published in the Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology journal suggests that a procedure may be used to improve survival rates in these situations, particularly in the most severe cases of congenial diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). The study in question comes from Brazil, where researchers carried out randomized trials on forty one patients. All of the patients were women whose fetuses had developed CDH. The group was split in two, with one receiving the procedure, known as fetal tracheal occlusion (FETO), and the other receiving no intervention. The group receiving the treatment had it performed at some point between weeks 26 and 30 of their pregnancy.

Overall those in the research group gave birth on average a week earlier than the control group. Researchers found that of the group that had received the procedure, half of the infants survived (10 out of 20). On the other hand, only one of the twenty one children in control group survived. Therefore, researchers roughly concluded that while no treatment leads to a five percent chance of survival for these infants, providing the FETO treatment raises survival rates to about fifty percent. Experts believe that the procedure works by enhancing pulmonary growth. They suggested that this information is sufficient to lead professionals to consider FETO treatment to be standard care for the most severe forms of CDH.

Our Illinois birth injury lawyers know that these developments may have implications for the quality of care that patients should expect when it comes to treatment for CDH. Of course, it is not at all correct for patients to now assume that if their infant does not survive because of the condition than it is due to improper medical care. On the contrary, even with the FETO treatment, survival from the birth injury is only at fifty percent. Instead, determining whether or not a birth injury lawsuit should be filed following these infant deaths depends on a broader assessment of the general level of care that was provided by a medical team. Looking only at outcomes is not relevant to the base measure of whether negligence actually occurred. The unsatisfactory outcome generally only relates the damages assessment of any medical malpractice case. But damages are insufficient without a breach of care being proven.

See Our Related Blog Posts:

Birth Accident Lawsuit Reveals Extreme Emotional Pain Associated with Loss

Birth Injury Lawsuit Filed After Child Born with Cerebral Palsy

Much news has been made recently about the link between parental painkiller use and preventable birth defects. Our Chicago birth injury lawyers wrote about this very topic last month. We explained how the problem should be viewed in two different ways. On one hand, there is growing alarm about the amount of children who are born to mothers that are addicted to painkillers. Many children develop opiate addictions while in the womb, because of their mother’s intentional consumption of painkillers during the pregnancy. This is a worrisome social problem, that many maternity ward nurses are working hard to combat. However, there is a second problem that is not related to mothers who are intentionally addicted to the painkillers. Instead, research is showing that even slight exposure to certain drugs among women in the earliest part of their pregnancies leads to increased risks of certain birth injuries.

The second problem is particularly troubling because many women (and doctors) had no idea that taking even common painkillers may present risks. If more research continues to pour in on the issue, it may be vital for medical professionals to change their practices to prevent these injuries from occurring.

The latest research on the topic was discussed last week by Fox News Health. It was explained how certain rare birth defects were seen more often depending on whether or not mothers took certain over-the-counter medications during the early stage of their pregnancy. The painkillers involved included common pills like aspirin, Aleve, and Advil. Babies born to mothers that had taken aspirin or Aleve where several times more likely to be born with eye problems like abnormally small eyes or no eyes at all. Amniotic band syndrome—a condition that causes malformations like clubfoot—were at least three times more likely among those who had taken painkillers. While these increases are troubling, experts admit that it is still too early to say with certainty that the increased birth injury risks are directly caused by the painkiller use.

Part of the reason why more research is needed is that the actual occurrence of many of these defects is so rare. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention note that the eye problems (anophthalmia and microphthalmia) occur in only one out of 5,300 births. Amniotic band syndrome is even rarer, seen in only one out of every 10,000 births.

These painkiller finding were published in the latest edition of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Researchers involved in the study reached their conclusions based on data culled and analyzed from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. As part of the study women were asked of their over-the-counter drug use during various parts of their pregnancy. The answers among 20,000 women were compared, some with birth defects and some without. Nearly thirty different defects were analyzed. In the vast majority of those defects, there seemed to be no connection to the use of these painkillers. However, the few rare defects mentioned above did show some connection to the mother’s drug use. Others that also seem connected to painkiller use was that for cleft palate and spina bifida).

See Our Related Blog Posts:

Birth Defects Linked to Various Persistent Organic Pollutants

Family Awarded $4.5 Million Following Birth Injury Lawsuit

A new report from the National Institute of Health and discussed last week in PharmPro provides encouraging news for all those hoping to prevent premature child birth injuries. Of course, children who are delivered before the full term gestation period can have myriad problems that they otherwise wouldn’t. Considering that many children are born prematurely every year, medical researchers have been working to limit injuries and improve survival rates among this group for decades. Over the years staggering progress has been made. The good news continues to come in.

For example, according to the PharmPro story, prenatal steroids seem to improve the survival rates and chance of suffering an infant brain injury among those born as early as the twenty third week of pregnancy. A full pregnancy is usually considered to be forty weeks long. As medical knowledge has increased, the viability of those children born weeks (or months) before that normal time has increased. That viability period may continue to grow.

Per the new research from the National Institute of Health Network, prenatal steroids may be given to mothers at risk for premature birth earlier than they are currently given. Under current guidelines these drugs are given to those at risk of premature birth between the 24th and 34th week of their pregnancies. Yet, the latest study suggests benefit can be seen as early as the 23rd week of pregnancy. The study which reached this conclusion appeared in this month’s Journal of the American Medical Association and was led by the director of the Neonatology division at the University of Alabama.

The steroids benefit the infant by helping the fetus’s lungs more fully mature. Naturally those children born early have not had the time to properly develop. The failure to develop vital organs often leads to significant long-term birth injuries—that is if the child survives at all. Lung trouble is particularly common among premature infants as is brain underdevelopment. However, increased steroid use among mothers who may deliver premature infants may ultimately save more of these children, particularly those who are the most fragile (born between the 22nd and 25th week of pregnancy).

Before this study, there was little guidance on prenatal steroid benefits in infants born before the 24th week. The study was completed to fill the knowledge void. It involved examination of nearly 11,000 infants born preterm over the last 17 years. In additional neurological examinations were conducted of nearly 5,000 of those infants. The results found a robust impact from prenatal steroids. Specifically, there were 33% fewer deaths among those who received the hormones compared with those who did not. Additionally, blindness, deafness, and other injuries or disabilities were 20% lower in those surviving infants who received the steroids.

Experts report that premature infants born in this 22-25 week zone often die shortly after birth, despite all efforts possible being exerted to save them. Many others experience disabilities that last throughout their lives, anything from hearing loss and cerebral palsy to mental deficiencies. A few are able to survive into adulthood unaffected, and it is hoped that research like this will help more of these children reach maturity without complications. Our Chicago birth injury lawyers are encouraged by the results and hope that their findings are verified and implemented into practice is as efficient and safe manner as possible.

See Our Related Blog Posts:

Premature Infants and Brain Injuries

Toll-Like Receptors Linked to Brain Injuries in Newborns

The Sacramento Bee reported this week on a new debate about the need for monitoring the heart rate of fetuses. As blog readers know, the monitoring of these heart rates is often important in allowing medical care providers to identify when there might be a problem with the child. Identifying fetal distress early and properly acting on it is vital to ensuring that preventable birth injuries are actually prevented. Failure to take appropriate action in these situations is at the heart of many birth injury lawsuits. In many ways it would seem completely logical for the monitoring to be conducted as thoroughly as possible.

However, some suggest that the constant monitoring actually causes more harm than good. They explain that the practice could result in unnecessary panic for both patients and doctors. Apparently, fetal heart rates can drop for a minute or two every four to five hours without other problems. There is then confusion about whether the physicians should intervene even though there are no other signs of distress. Short-live decelerations of the heart rate are occasionally a feature of pre-labor conditions, some argue. Therefore, they do not believe the pre-labor monitoring is necessary.

At the end of the day, the monitoring decision is mostly about finances. If the monitoring is not necessary, then many suggest that the resources of maintaining the monitoring should not be undertaken at the moment when it is unnecessary. This is a logical proposition, especially considering that healthcare costs have been steadily increasing over the years. However, it is vital that a proper balance be sought. It is inexcusable to pull the plug on the monitoring before it becomes especially clear that such monitoring truly provides little value to the patient. Also, it would be illogical to base the decision on the fact that some doctors might panic when a natural deceleration of the heart rate is spotted. Of course, the proper remedy if that is the motivation is not to remove the monitoring but to better train the physicians to understand what the proper course of action should be.

Our Chicago birth injury lawyers know that there is often a bit of confusion about these distinctions. It is one thing to make the general statement that errors are always going to be part of the medical process because humans are involved. That is likely true. However, it does not get to the root of the issue—or the legal question—about what the consequences of those errors should be. In other words, it may be true that errors will always exist, but those who make those errors are still required to compensate those hurt by the medical mistakes. It is not a legal excuse to say that a birth injury resulted because of a basic mistake that all humans make occasionally. If that is the case, then there is almost assuredly negligence that requires the wrongdoer to compensate the victim. The fact that an individual (or doctor) makes a mistake that leads to civil liability is not automatically a judgment from high about the overall quality of their work. Instead, it simply means that in this one particular instance they did not act properly and hurt another.

See Our Related Blog Posts:

Understanding Cerebral Palsy

Birth Injuries Often Have Lifelong Consequences

Daily Rx reported this week on a new imaging test that may allow mothers to avoid difficult childbirths that often result in birth injuries. It is often helpful to think of two kinds of birth injuries, those caused by improper fetal development early in the pregnancy and those caused by problems at the moment of birth. Many of the problems that occur early on are difficult to prevent, as knowledge is still limited in the area. However, injuries caused by complications during delivery often hinge on the actions (or lack of actions) of the medical team deciding how the birth proceeds. That is why, more often than not, birth injury lawsuits are filed in connection to these delivery problems.

Fortunately, a new test may now be available which will help medical professionals prevent trouble during childbirth. The test is claimed to be able to predict ahead of time whether or not a birth will be smooth or difficult—allowing medical providers to plan ahead and potentially avoid complications. A team of French medical researchers tested the system which uses three dimensional images to simulate birth details. For example, they can analyze whether a child’s head has not turned properly which indicates that there may be trouble when it travels down the birth canal. Analyzing the child’s position in this way, before the birth, allowed the research doctors to correctly identify problematic births before they actually occurred.

By identifying the trouble earlier, doctors are able to know what to do to correct the problem. One of the main issues that our Illinois birth injury lawyers see time and again are doctors who fail to act properly when under the time pressure of discovering a birth problem in the middle of delivery. This test, if effective, can help doctors avoid that time pressure and plan ahead for extra steps that will need to be taken—or to schedule a C-section.

It is too early to tell how universally effective this new technique will prove to be. The researchers in this first study looked at images of 24 pregnant women using a new MRI computer program which tracks a baby’s womb growth. The team then generated three dimensional pictures of the mother’s pelvis while identifying the available routes of the child through the birth canal. That analysis allowed them to “score” each mother on a scale that predicted whether or not there would be complications during the delivery. In virtually all cases those mothers estimated to have a “highly favorable” birth without complications delivered normally. Conversely those who had been flagged for concerns actually required special intervention, C-section, or vacuum extraction.

Our birth injury attorneys believe that this system may significantly reduce the prevalence of unexpected birthing problems. Currently, doctors can usually only gauge likely birth complications ahead of time by measuring the size of a pelvis—a consistently unreliable indicator of potential delivery problems. This unreliability has significant consequences. For example, an unplanned C-section birth comes with a six to seven times increased risk of injury or death (for the mother or child) compared to planned C-sections.

See Our Related Blog Posts:

Dramatic Rise in Cesarean Births

Report Finds Recent Rise in C-Section Births

Illinois birth injuries which ultimately lead to a birth defect lawsuit are usually ones that occur just before the child is actually born. This usually makes the situations seem particularly tragic in that a life is forever changed in the blink of an eye. In many of these situations a baby had developed entirely normal and was just waiting to enter the world completely healthy. Yet, because of some mistake, lapse in judgment, or unreasonable delay, the child develops an injury that forever alters their life. Those families that are forced to deal with these problems often feel a sense of regret, thinking that their loved one developed serious problems that could and should have been prevented.

It goes without saying that work should be done to make these injuries as rare as possible. Fortunately, many medical researchers are working to do just that. Seemingly every day there is new information that is released revealing new information about what things may or may not contribute to this harm during childbirth. For example, Reuters last week published a story about new researcher which suggests forceps use may be unfairly going out of style. Specifically, use of forceps may help prevent brain injuries, at least when compared to alternatives. When a difficult childbirth situation exists, the medical professional usually has a range of ways in which he or she can handle the situation. The doctor can chose to use forceps, a vacuum pump, or may perhaps decide that a C-section is necessary.

Recently, out of those three choices, forceps use has been losing ground, as C-section rates have risen considerably, and vacuum pumps are used more than forceps. New research suggests these trends may not be wise. More brain injuries may be caused by the lessening use of forceps. Researchers out of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine are questioning vacuum pump and C-section use, claiming that forceps actually lead to fewer child brain injuries when compared to the others. One doctor involved said that the trend away from forceps use was confusing to begin with, because there never was much evidence suggesting that these alternative methods were safer in most emergency circumstances.

The latest research which involved the analysis of 400,000 live births in first time mothers suggests the opposite might be true. Out of that group, deliveries involving forceps resulted in forty five percent fewer infant brain injuries when compared with vacuum pump and C-section births. The brain injuries in question, when arising in infants, are most often caused by seizures which are less common when forceps birth occur. The seizures are usually caused by prolonged oxygen deprivation. Forceps often allow the birth to happen quicker, meaning that a child who has oxygen deprivation problem receives emergency medical intervention much sooner than often occurs in vacuum pump delivers. However, a different kind of brain injury resulting in head bleeding (subdural hematoma) was slightly less common when C-sections were performed.

At the end of the day, those involved in this latest research project suggest that it is incumbent upon patients to work with their doctor to plan ahead for these decisions. They advise expectant mothers and their families to talk with their doctor ahead of time so that if an emergency birth is needed there is no question about what steps should be taken. Unfortunately, many times there is confusion at times of emergency, leading medical providers to make mistakes or delay. Those problems often lead to permanent damage that cannot be undone and will forever influence the life of the new child.

See Our Related Blog Posts:

Hypothermia Treatment for Lack of Oxygen Birth Injuries

Illinois Birth Injury Lawsuit Settles for Over $15 Million

Birth injuries have a myriad of causes, some preventable, many unpreventable. The legal consequences of these injuries are obviously linked to whether or not something could have been done which would have prevented the harm from arising. If something could have been done, it does not automatically mean that there is legal liability and that a birth injury lawsuit should be filed. Instead, in most cases a reasonableness inquiry need be conducted. In other words, did an individual or legal entity (business, hospital, etc.) act in a way contrary to what a reasonable individual or entity would have done in similar circumstances. If so, then legal liability attaches.

The reasonableness analysis is at the heart of most personal injury cases. It is an objective standard in that it is not based on what the specific individual involved thought was reasonable. For example, even if a doctor believes he is acting appropriately, he or she may still be found to have been negligent if a “reasonably prudent” doctor in similar circumstances would not have though those actions appropriate. In other words, what is going on inside the head of the actual individual involved in not all that relevant.

However, this is not to say that the objective standard of reasonableness does not change. This is especially true in the medical context. Community standards and knowledge factor into what makes something reasonable or not reasonable to the ordinary member of the profession. In particular, as more information is obtained about the safety of a procedure or efficacy of a drug, the practice of doctor must change. Failure to adapt to change in knowledge means that conduct that formerly was reasonable will no longer be so under the law.

A new story from PR Web this week explores an ongoing issue of failure to adapt to changing knowledge which may lead to more birth injury lawsuits. Zoloft is an antidepressant that has become one of the most popular drugs in the world since its 1991 release. Its common use has resulted in billions of dollars in profits for its maker, Pfizer. At first, medical professionals had no idea that the drug may be harmful to child development when taken by pregnant patients. However, in recent years there have been many warnings about the harm that can result. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, along with many of the most respected medical research publications have issued warnings about Zoloft use for expectant mothers.

Unfortunately, despite these concerns, many who may be harmed by Zoloft use continue to take the drug. While the prescription may not have been unreasonable at the very beginning of the drug’s use, that changed as risk factors were identified. Those who made the product and prescribed it likely distributed the drug even while knowing that risk. Our Chicago birth injury lawyers know that this conduct may have violated the civil law. As a result, all those families who had a child born with a birth defect which may have been caused by the drug use should visit with a legal professional to learn what legal options may be available to them.

See Our Related Blog Posts:

The Connection Between Birth Defects and Antidepressants

Birth Injuries – Could There Be a Link to Autism?

Most community members are well aware of the fact that premature births present many more complications for young involved mother and child than full term births. Clearly, infants generally need nine months to properly develop in the mother’s womb, and when they do not have that complete time to develop, birth injuries often result. Yet, beyond the basic understanding about premature birth risks, doctors are still learning about various aspects of the human development process. As knowledge in the area progresses, it is hoped that more options will be available to prevent certain birth injuries and allow these children to have normal lives.

For example, an NPR News article this week explored new medical researcher which is helping scientists better understand why brain injuries are so common among premature infants. The new research was unveiled by researchers at a Society for Neuroscience meeting this week. According to experts, this new knowledge may eventually lower the number of children born early who suffer from injuries like cerebral palsy, epilepsy, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and similar problems. Over 60,000 children are born each year weighing less than 3.3 pounds. Most of those children will survive, but many of them will suffer brain injuries.

Oxygen deprivation in the first hours and days after birth is most often the main cause of the infant brain injury. The white matter of the brain can be damaged when not enough oxygen is received. This matter is essentially the “communication highway” of the brain, allowing messages to be sent from the brain to other parts of the body. The less developed the young child, the more immature their lungs are. This means that their bodies are often incapable of delivering the necessary oxygen to the lungs. Even mechanical breathing devices have not been able to make up this difference.

A new incubator inside an MRI scanner has now allowed medical researchers to test the white matter damage in preterm infant brains. The new information had provided scientists with much more information about exactly how the white matter is injured. Is it hoped that this line of research will prove fruitful when figuring out how to prevent the damage. For one thing, experts now believe that action must be taken immediately after the child’s birth to prevent harm. One researcher explained, “There is a critical developmental time window right after birth. If development is disturbed during this critical time window then the brain doesn’t catch up.” There may be a way for doctors to intervene immediately after birth by giving infants a specific drug in certain areas that speeds up production of myelin—the brain matter most often damaged. Magnetic stimulation of certain brain areas and temporarily lowering body temperature may also eventually prove to help prevent this brain damage in premature infants.

Our Chicago birth injury lawyers will be watching these developments closely. No personal injuries are as devastating as those involving young children, because they are often affected throughout their entire lives. All advances that will spare these victims should be pursued diligently and as timely as possible.

See Our Related Blog Posts:

Birth Injury Lawsuit Against Midwife Settles for $730,000

Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Filed After Pregnancy Complications Leads to Deadly Blood Infection

JPost News reported this week on exciting new medical developments that may shape the future of research aimed at learning more about birth injuries and defects. The March of Dimes Foundation recently awarded the Basil O’Connor Starter Scholar Award to a biomedical engineering professor working on a new approach to tissue development that may have important ramifications into understanding how certain tissue-related birth defects arise. The work of Tufts University’s School of Engineering professor Catherine K. Kuo looks at orthopedic birth defects that occur in the mother’s womb. Clubfoot is a common version of these problems, and it results from an abnormal musculoskeletal development in the embryo. Clubfoot usually requires significant surgeries before the child is able to stand and walk.

Specifically, the work includes use of engineered embryonic tendon tissue to simulate muscle movement in the embryo to determine how that movement might affect the fetus’s development. The hope is that researchers will be able to determine if certain actions, like kicking, somehow affect that tissue development adversely. Dr. Kuo explains that the current knowledge about how muscle activity affects birth defects is minimal. The tendon will be used as a model to advance that study because the tendon plays a critical role in normal musculoskeletal systems.

The engineered muscle will be done via use of chick and mouse embryos. These engineered tendons will then be inserted into a porous biodegradable synthetic scaffold which itself will be placed in a nutrient-filled bioreactor. The scaffolding will then grow into living engineered tissue. These elaborate efforts are necessary to simulate the growth of tissue in a developing child. As Dr. Kuo notes, “It’s very difficult to study developing tissue, in this case, tendon, inside the body, and especially in utero.” That difficulty has made it essentially uncharted territory—a state that will hopefully change pending development of this line of research.

At an initial level, this new research will hopefully explain how developing tissue stiffness affects cells and how movement in utero (like kicking) affects that development. At a functional level, once researchers understand how the stiffness and movement affect development, they can begin strategizing ways to intervene when necessary to influence the movement and stiffness in an effort to prevent harmful consequences. Long-term, the doctor explains, the intervention may actually involve removing the involved cells, treating them in a bioreactor to behave normally, and then reinserting them into the fetus to help develop normal tissue function. These goals are clearly a long ways off, but as with all promising research, the steps are in place now that may ultimately lead down that road of complete prevention of a complicated birth defect.

Many birth defects that develop early on in a pregnancy are very difficult to predict or prevent. Unlike many birth injuries that arise because of failures on the part of the involved medical team to respond to problems, our Chicago injury lawyers know that many of these tissue development problems are completely unpreventable with our current level of knowledge. Hopefully this research and similar efforts will slowly change that, helping expectant mothers and medical professionals actually prevent these complications from affecting children in the future.

See Our Related Blog Posts:

Simple Heart Defect Screenings May Save Infant Lives

New Research Gives Hope to Those Seeking Cerebral Palsy Prevention

A new study reported on late this week by the Journal Democrat has found troubling new information which reveals that nearly 20% of deadly birth injuries could have been prevented in the area. The statistic was produced following the review of a study conducted by the state’s Child Death Review Team. The body examined death records of 551 deaths that occurred in 2007 and 2008. The medical professionals on the review panel found that nearly 165 of those deaths were preventable.

Overall, the review found that nearly one-third of all deaths of children of all ages are related to birth injuries and complications. Premature birth was the leading cause of death among this group. Premature births can occur in many contexts, from separation of the placenta from the wall of the uterus (placental abruption) and infections of the placental tissue to a weakening of the cervix. Birth injuries were also a significant cause of death according to the survey. The most common include chromosome abnormalities, neural tube defects, and heart defects.

The medical professionals involved in the review found that a wide range of factors can prevent these deaths. For example, neural tube defects can almost always be prevented if the mother takes folic acid sufficiently. Also, medical professionals must be sure to act appropriately during complex births, as failure to take reasonable medical action often results in deadly injuries that could have been prevented. As the chair of the review team explained, “the education of parents and the involvement of communities and health care providers can make a big difference in reducing the number of preventable deaths.”

The team suggests that pregnant women, their health providers, and the community at large should engage in a comprehensive prevention program to ensure safer deliveries. That includes analysis of the signs and symptoms of preterm labor. Our Illinois birth injury lawyers fully support better integration of inclusive communication between pregnant women and their doctors. In many cases, if patients and doctors had better communication regarding potential problems and symptoms, then more mistakes are caught ahead of time, before they develop into serious injury.

Sadly, in some situations there is nothing that the expecting mother can do to prevent the harm. For example, in the middle of childbirth, it is obviously appropriate for the family to rely on the professional advice of their medical professional on major decisions—such as whether or not a C-section need be performed. When the family’s reliance on the medical professional is misplaced, resulting in harm, then the justice system allows the family to receive compensation for that harm. If you or your family is in this situation, please get in touch with our Chicago injury lawyers to share your story and see how we can help. We have decades of experience helping families in this situation. You can learn about the law in this area by visiting our office for a free consultation. We work on a contingency basis with all families, so that you do not have to pay anything to have our professional assistance guiding your case to a timely, fair resolution.

See Our Related Blog Posts:

Family of Injured Boy Seeks Approval of $30M Award in Birth Injury Lawsuit

Doctor’s Failure to Treat Jaundice Causes Baby to Suffer Cerebral Palsy Birth Injury

It goes without saying that pregnant women must be particularly mindful of everything that they put into their bodies when they are expecting. Obviously parents want to do everything in their power to ensure their child is born healthy and does not fall victim to a birth injury or birth defect. Part of the way that parents seek to ensure the well-being of their new addition is by following the advice of doctors and other professionals. Many are specifically trained and compensated to help parents through this process, both when the mother is pregnant and during the birth of the child. Parents cannot be faulted for listening to professional advice. Our Chicago birth injury lawyers know that at time those doctors fail to act reasonably, causing severe harm, and resulting in Illinois birth injury lawsuits.

Unfortunately, negligent medical professionals are not the only ones who occasionally let patients down and cause severe harm. For example, according to About Lawsuits, a new Zoloft wrongful death suit was filed by a family after their infant was born with a heart defect and died shortly after her birth. According to documents filed in the suit, the couple is alleging that the maker of the antidepressant drug Zoloft is responsible for the death of their child. The family alleges that the expectant mother took the drug while pregnant after it was prescribed to her. She claims that the drug led to problems in the baby’s development.

The infant was diagnosed with a string of problems including: Tatralogy of Falot, truncus arteriosus, strial septal defect, confluent branch pulmonary arteries, and several others. In total, the heart developmental problems were too much for the baby to overcome and she died the day after she was born. The family claims that all of those problems were side effects of Zoloft and, that the company knew these birth defects could be caused by the drug.

Court documents filed by the plaintiff states that Pfizer knew about the risks presented by Zoloft when given to expectant mothers. The family claims that the company had data for years which pointed to the dangers presented by the drug but did not to protect the unsuspecting patients who were given the drug. This latest suit is not the first to suggest that Pfizer failed to act appropriately. Many other families have filed similar suits as of late. At the heart of each of them are claims that the large pharmaceutical company did not adequately warn pregnant mothers about the risks.

Zoloft is a popular antidepressant drug that has been in use since the early 1990s to treat depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and anxiety. In fact, it remains the most prescribed antidepressant in the country. It is part of a commonly used (and often abused) class of drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). If you have suspicions that this drug has caused harm to you or a child that suffered a birth injury, be sure to get in touch with a legal professional in your area to discover if it is appropriate to pursue legal action.

See Our Related Blog Posts:

Hypothermia Treatment for Lack of Oxygen Birth Injuries

Illinois Birth Injury Lawsuit Settles for Over $15 Million

Some causes of birth defect are difficult to precisely root out. It often takes years of careful analysis, clear sighted research, and close scrutiny before conclusive statements can be made about a particular cause of certain medical problems. However, once that cause has been found, it is incumbent upon all those in a position to do something about it to actually take action. Similarly, even if research is still being conducted to more clearly support a certain conclusion, those involved can take preventative measure to properly account for the risks that a certain product, action, or circumstance can affect the proper development of a child.

For example, this weekend Max Health discussed new research which is leading many scientists to conclude that a wide range of environmental pollutants increase the chance that children will be born some medical problems, such as autism. The new data was released jointly by researchers based out of the University of Texas and Peking University. Many scientists involved believe that the soon there will be enough data to show that autism is primarily caused by environmental pollutants alone. For decades experts have been searching to determine the precise causes of a variety of problems affecting children from birth like autism.

This latest study did not focus solely on autism. In addition, those involved examined incident rates of spina bifida and anencephaly. Both problems are related to neural tube defects. Spina bifidia results from a lack of fusion of the spinal cord while anencephaly leads to absence of part of the brain. Children can live for a time with spina bifida, though most infants born with anencephaly typically die at birth. In this latest study, researchers examined of a wide range of birth defects on their potential connection to parental exposure to certain nearby pollutants. Researchers measured mothers based on a variety of factors, including their proximity to sites with known high pollution levels and measurements in their placenta for high concentration of two pesticides—endosulfan and lindane.

Overall, researchers found a strong link between exposure to these pollutants and incidents of spina bifida and anencephaly. The two pollutants measured here had been used in the United States for years. However, both have very recently been banned. Endosulfan is an organochlorine pesticide similar to DDT. Lindane is still used to treat lice and scabies, but it can no longer be used for agricultural purposes.

Our Illinois birth defect attorney knows that this and similar research may have important effects on future birth injury lawsuits related to these toxins. As the lead researcher in the study explained, “we’ve suspected for a while that some of these pollutants are related to an increase in birth defects, but we haven’t always had to evidence to show it.” With the evidence building, more options may be open for those whose families have been victimized by exposure to these products. We urge all those in our area who suspect that outside products may have been involved in a birth defect, to contact our office to learn how the legal system may allow them to receive compensation for the losses that they have suffered as a result of the injury.

See Our Related Blog Posts:

Birth Defects Linked to Various Persistent Organic Pollutants

Family Awarded $4.5 Million Following Birth Injury Lawsuit

News continues to roll in on the dangers that certain types of medications pose to those who are expecting children or plan to have children. Our Chicago birth injury attorneys have recently shared a plethora of information on antidepressants and the way that they may cause Illinois birth injuries. The continuous stream of information about these causes of birth defects should act as even more of a motivation for all expectant mothers. It is important that they be particularly careful about the medications and products and understanding how they may affect the development of their unborn children.

Yesterday we discussed how Paxil birth injury lawsuits were still being filed by those whose young children suffered because they were prescribed the antidepressant medication while pregnant. Just this week Web Wire discussed another medication that has caused a variety of problems for mothers and their babies—Depakote. The drug is given to treat bipolar disorder, but it can have severe consequences when given to pregnant woman, especially in their first three months of pregnancy. If an expecting mother takes the drug in that time, their child has a 1 in 20 chance of being born with a birth defect. Those are frighteningly high odds that should put all mothers on notice.

The dangers posed by the drug led the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue an alert about the drug’s dangers, warning those who take the drugs of the potential consequences if they are planning a pregnancy. As news of the dangers spread, many Depakote lawsuits were filed by families whose children were affected because they unknowingly took the drug in the first three months of their pregnancy. As part of the lawsuits the plaintiff argued that the company which manufactured the drug—Abbott—knew ahead of time about these dangers posed by the drug. The victims allege that even though they had this knowledge they did nothing to warn patients.

Depakote was developed by Abbott in 1978 to treat a variety of problems including epileptic seizures and mania episodes of those with bipolar disorder. Researchers have found that mothers who take the drug early in their pregnancy have a much higher chance of their children developing problems like cleft palate, spina bifidia, polydactyly, hypospadias, atrial septal defect, and other complications. On top of that, new research recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that Depakote may cause children to lower a child’s IQ.

The Illinois birth defect lawyers at our firm help families whose children have been hurt at birth. At first most families are not sure of all of the factors that have led to the problem. However, after investigation into the matter it often is the case that the birth defect was preventable if only those who were involved in their care had acted reasonably. In those cases, it is fair and logical for the young child’s rights to be protected through use of the civil justice system. Please contact our office if you suspect that you or a loved one has been harmed by this drug or other childbirth errors.

See Our Related Blog Posts:

Birth Accident Lawsuit Reveals Extreme Emotional Pain Associated with Loss

Birth Injury Lawsuit Filed After Child Born with Cerebral Palsy

Our Illinois birth injury attorneys learned that the United States Food and Drug Administration recently issued a warning that the drug Diflucan has been linked to birth injuries in a number of cases where the mother was taking the drug while she was pregnant. Diflucan is a drug that is often used to treat yeast infections in patients and sometimes used to treats a certain type of meningitis in patients. The birth defects that have been associated with using Diflucan were found to be present, if at all, if taken during the first trimester of the pregnancy and included physical developmental issues, bone development issues, and heart problems. While the FDA did issue a warning against taking this drug during pregnancy, according to FDA’s website, if the drug was prescribed for a very serious condition that a doctor should be consulted to see if staying on the medicine or coming off the medicine will be best for the mother and baby. The reason that it is important to consult with a doctor is that there does not appear to be risk associated with a single low dose of the medicine, so a doctor may still recommend that a pregnant person take one small dosage if they deem it necessary for the mother for her and the baby’s overall health.

All doctors should be aware of the dangers of prescribing Diflucan, or other drugs that are linked to birth defects, to pregnant patients. If a doctor fails to realize that the drug being prescribed may be dangerous, or if the doctor fails to warn the pregnant mother of the dangers associated with taking the medication during pregnancy, that doctor may be held liable if the baby is born with a birth defect or a birth injury. Often times taking drugs known to be linked with birth defects affect the way in which the baby is developing during the pregnancy and may cause the baby to be born with severe developmental problems.

The reason that our birth injury attorneys want to remind all pregnant women of the importance of the doctor exercising the highest level of care with all patients is because this type of birth injury is completely preventable if the doctor does not act negligently. By either not prescribing certain medications to pregnant patients, or making sure that the patient is completely aware of the risk associated with taking a certain medication, the doctor can help eliminate this type of terrible tragedy.

If you or a loved one was prescribed a drug that has been associated with birth defects, and that drug was prescribed to you by your doctor and the doctor failed to warn you of the dangers associated with the drug, you may have a birth injury lawsuit against the doctor for their negligence. If at the time that the drug was taken, there was no published or known information regarding a connection between the drug and birth injuries, you may have a potential personal injury lawsuit against the manufacturer of the medication. In any case, if you were an expecting mother and were prescribed a drug that led to birth injuries to your baby, please contact our personal injury law firm today to discuss what possible options may be available to you and your family.

Our Illinois birth injury attorneys have unfortunately seen many cases of birth injuries related to the taking of a drug by a mother during pregnancy, that her doctor either did not warn her could cause birth defects or that the company did not warn doctors could cause birth defects. Often times the birth injury that results from taking the drug while pregnant is one that would not have been present if the doctor responsible for the mother and unborn baby's health had not prescribed the drug to the pregnant mother. Two of the most common drugs that have been linked to a high frequency of birth injuries, if the mother is taking the drug during her pregnancy, are Depakote and Topamax, both of which are drugs designed to reduce the number of epileptic seizures for patients taking these drugs. While these drugs do work well for patients with epilepsy in helping to control their seizures, the drugs have been found in many cases be very dangerous to an unborn baby, and as many as one out of every five babies born while the mother was taking one of these anti-seizure medications were born with birth defects.

The birth defects associated with these anti-seizure drugs range from spina bifida (when the baby's spinal cord does not develop properly) to problems with limb development and problems with skull and brain development. Since these drugs have recently been linked to these birth defects many families who had babies while prescribed this medication have filed a birth injury lawsuit against both the manufacturing companies and the doctors who prescribed the drugs to the mothers.

Researchers have found that some of the newer anti-seizure drugs do not seem to cause birth defects in babies if the mother is taking them during pregnancy. According to About Lawsuits, the two newer anti-seizure drugs that were studied in connection with birth defects were Trileptal and Lamictal, and no connection was found between using these drugs during pregnancy and an increase in birth defects. The reason that this news is so important is that epileptic patients that are pregnant may now have a safe alternative that allows them to continue their medication to prevent seizures while also making sure that their baby does not suffer a birth injury while taking the medication.

These newer anti-seizure drugs not causing birth defects are also great news for pregnant epileptic women because the risk of not taking any anti-seizure medication during pregnancy is not only a danger to the mother but could be dangerous to the baby as well. The mother having a seizure during pregnancy could be dangerous to the baby's health and development as well as to the mother, so it would be best if there was an option for the mother to be able to take an anti-seizure medication that would also be safe to her unborn baby.

Most mothers would not have chosen to have taken one of the now known anti-seizure drugs that have been found to have a strong correlation to birth injuries had they known of the dangers. However, most mothers that were prescribed the drugs linked to birth injuries were unaware that there was any danger associated with the drug and trusted their doctors to not prescribe them something that would endanger their baby. Whether it was the doctor or the drug company's negligence that led to these avoidable birth injuries to all of these babies, the families are entitled to compensation for all that they have suffered as a result of another's negligence. If you or a loved one has given birth to a baby that suffered birth defects likely a result of an anti-seizure medication being prescribed during pregnancy, please do not hesitate to contact our personal injury law firm today to see what options are available to you.

Our Chicago birth injury attorneys recently read about an injury lawsuit that was filed by an Illinois family in which the family alleges that the health problems that their twin babies were born with were a result of the mother being prescribed Depakote during pregnancy. This is a common drug given to patients to try to reduce the frequency of epileptic seizures, but has been linked to spina bifida birth defects when taken by pregnant patients. Spina bifida is a birth defect in which the baby's spinal cord is not fully formed and stays open and fused. Babies born with this type of birth injury often face a lifetime of disability and suffer through a lot pain throughout their life as a result of this birth injury.

The injury lawsuit was filed on behalf of both of the couple's twin daughters, since both babies were born with spina bifida allegedly caused by the taking of Depakote. The family filed the lawsuit naming the drug manufacturer as defendant for failure to warn the doctors or the patients of the dangers of taking the medication during pregnancy. The mother of the twin girls says that she would not have chosen to take the anti-seizure medication if she had known what the risks to her babies would have been and because there was no warning associated with the drug, she did take the medication and the twin girls suffered birth injuries as a result.

According to About Lawsuits, not only spina bifida has been linked to Depakote as a possible birth injury, but babies have also been born with other birth defects after the mother took this drug such as cleft palates, problems with skull development, problems with limb development, holes in the heart, urinary tract infections, and cognitive impairments. While spina bifida is often times most commonly with this drug, these other birth injuries have been linked to Depakote as well.

The manufacturers of Depakote have faced many injury lawsuits in recent years, and the FDA added a warning in 2006 that as many as 20% of women who were taking the drug while pregnant gave birth to a baby that had either spina bifida or the other birth defects that have been associated with Depakote. More recently researchers have discovered that Depakote can do serious damage early on in the pregnancy and that the first 28 days of the pregnancy are likely when the drug is most dangerous to the baby. Often times a woman may not know they are pregnant early on and because of this severe damage is often already done to the baby before the mother is able to stop using the drug. As a result of this problem, doctors need to be very cautious about prescribing Depakote to women who are trying to become or are in a position to become pregnant.

If you or a loved one gave birth to a baby with birth defects and was prescribed Depakote during your pregnancy without any warnings of the possible dangers to the baby, please contact our Illinois personal injury lawyers today to talk to a birth injury attorney about what the birth injury that has occurred and what options may be available to you or your family.

Unfortunately birth injuries are far more frequent than one might realize and often times occur because of negligence on the part of the doctor or the hospital and could be avoided if the proper care was taken. Our birth injury attorneys realize that many of the birth injuries that they see are a result not of the baby having complications during pregnancy but rather there being a problem during delivery. According to Todays THV, two out of every three babies that are born at full-term experience some degree of oxygen loss related to the umbilical cord cutting off their air supply or by another type of problem during the birthing process. If this happens and the problem that is causing the lack of oxygen is taken care of immediately, or if the doctor realizes that the baby in distress as they are delivering the baby and act accordingly, the doctor can hopefully fix the problem before any serious or permanent damage to the newborn baby occurs.

Birth injuries caused by a lack of oxygen to the baby during birth can end up causing serious damage if the baby is without oxygen for a long enough period of time. The lack of oxygen can cause severe brain damage and can seriously impair the baby’s developmental abilities and can even lead to death. Cerebral palsy is condition that babies sometimes develop at birth when they suffer from a lack of oxygen, and this condition often involves a great deal of developmental problems or delays that can last throughout the baby’s lifetime. However, while oxygen deprivation at birth may unfortunately be rather common, a serious injury can often be avoided if the birth doctor realizes the problem and acts immediately to restore oxygen to the baby.

One interesting way in which a birth injury due to a lack of oxygen can be helped is through the use of a “cooling cap” which can be used for babies that suffer from a temporary deprivation of oxygen to the entire brain at birth (as opposed to a lack of oxygen to a portion of the brain). This method requires that either the baby’s entire body or head is kept cool for at least 72 hours and then the baby is taken off of the ventilator and re-warmed. This process may help with damage caused from the temporary lack of oxygen to the entire brain and has been found to work on a number of babies that have suffered from this type of birth injury.

While there are certain things that can be done to try to reduce or protect against severe brain injury after birth, all of the methods require that the doctor is immediately aware that there is a problem and act quickly to try to limit the damage to the baby. If during the birthing process or immediately after the birthing process you feel that the doctor that delivered your baby did not act using the utmost care or in some way acted negligently, please contact our Illinois personal injury attorneys to discuss what options may be available for you and your family.

Chicago birth injury attorneys from our office recently read an article in USA Today, that found that as of 2009, the number of C-sections had grown to 34 percent, up from 27 percent in 2002. A report has shown that there are various reasons for the increase in C-sections including that they are more convenient for both the mothers and the doctors since the time of the birth is planned, they are used for multiple births (which have also increased in recent years), they are often used when the mother has certain risk factors, and that more women have started to request them.

C-sections, which is the nickname that is often given to caesarean deliveries, are a method of delivering a baby in which an incision is made in the mother’s stomach and the baby is removed as opposed to the baby being born vaginally. C-sections are intended to be used when a vaginal delivery would put either mother or baby at risk to reduce the risk of birth injuries in a number of cases. However, many doctors caution that C-sections are only to be used when necessary to protect the mother or the baby, and that they are becoming too much of default procedure because doctors fear birth malpractice lawsuits.

The reason that a C-section may not be the best choice is that they have certain risks that can occur with them as well. The number one reason that doctors worry about performing C-sections for convenience is that they cut the full term of the pregnancy down, and it is very important for a baby to go to full term if there are no serious complications with the pregnancy. In the last month the baby’s lungs, brain and kidneys finish developing and therefore this is not something that short be cut short when it does not need to be.

Additionally, a C-section is a surgical procedure and carries with it the risk for infection, anesthesia errors, and other surgical errors. In order to reduce these risks, a mother should choose vaginal birth if they are low-risk for complications.

If you believe that your physician acted negligently in performing a C-section and these mistakes caused injury to your baby, please do not hesitate to contact our Illinois personal injury attorneys immediately to discuss what possible options are available to you and to your family.

Our Chicago birth injury attorneys were interested to learn that some hospitals have started banning the use of video cameras in hospital delivery rooms. At this point in time the decision whether or not to allow video cameras in hospital delivery rooms is up to each individual hospital and there is no national standard in place dealing with the issue. Some hospitals that are banning video cameras in the delivery room say that the reason for not allowing the video cameras in the room is strictly to insure the safety of the mother and baby during delivery and to help protect the privacy of the delivery staff. Some of the hospitals that ban video cameras in the room during the birth do allow video cameras to be used shortly after birth when the medical staff gives the family permission to use the camera to the family.

While it is important to ensure the mother and baby’s safety first and foremost, and any videotaping that interferes with safety seems reasonable to restrict, many new parents are upset with these new policies and feel that the whole birthing experience is diminished by not being able to capture it on film. According to the New York Times, one doctor said that with all the current technology and ability to film he feels that the room becomes too overwhelming and that he is unable to fully focus on his job. While a doctor’s full focus and care is a very important part of the birthing process, it seems interesting that this is just starting to become an issue now when video cameras have been used in delivery rooms for many years.

Birth videos have recently started to be used as evidence in medical malpractice cases that have to do with birth injury lawsuits. Because birth videos were taken often times right when a medical mistake or problem occurs it is no surprise that many parents are using them as evidence when alleging that the doctor performing the birth was negligent or failed to give the proper care and attention necessary for the birth of the baby. While it makes since that the video cameras should maybe not be allowed in the room if they are distracting the doctor, it seems interesting that video cameras may not be allowed in order to protect a doctor from liability. All doctors should act with the utmost care and attention during each birth and should not be acting any differently if there is a video camera present.

While understanding every hospital’s decision and reasoning behind choosing to ban video cameras is not something that is completely clear, the most important thing to make sure is that the baby and the mother are given complete attention and the best possible care available, but also weighing the importance of being able to document the baby’s first moments for the families.

Whether it was on video or not, any doctor that acted negligently or irresponsibly during the birth of a child should be held accountable for their actions. If you believe that a negligent healthcare provider is responsible for your child's injury, please do no hesitate to contact our Illinois personal injury law firm today to discuss what type of actions and compensation may be available to you and your family.

Our Chicago birth injury attorneys just read about a recent birth injury lawsuit that resulted in an award of $1.3 million dollars for a couple whose baby was injured during birth as a result of the baby’s shoulders getting stuck during the delivery process. The lawsuit alleged that the doctor that delivered the baby negligently failed to notice that the baby’s shoulders were stuck and the doctor then used too much force to get the baby out, which resulted in permanent shoulder injuries to the baby. According to About Lawsuits, at trial evidence was presented which showed that the baby, who is now almost five years old, has limited use of one of her arms as a result of the birth injury. The young girl also has to undergo physical therapy on a regular basis in order to make sure the shoulder injury does not get worse over time. The judgment included damages not only for the medical bills, but also for the young girl’s future lost earnings, the pain and suffering the family has experienced, and the loss of family consortium (which means the loss of the family relationship that would have be expected had it not been for the negligent acts of another person).

This type of injury is a common birth injury and is commonly referred to as a brachial plexus injury, shoulder dystocia or Erb’s palsy. The brachial plexus is a nerve bundle connecting a person’s spinal cord to their shoulder, arm, and hand. During child birth, when a baby’s shoulders are stuck in the wrong position, or against the mother’s pubic bone, the doctor needs to be very careful during delivery and very aware of what is happening with the baby at all times during the delivery so the doctor can adjust the position of the baby so as not to damage the nerves and permanently damage the baby’s shoulder functioning. If proper care is not taken and the doctor tries to pull too forcefully on the baby to get them out, the doctor may case severe damage to the baby’s brachial plexus nerves.

While physical therapy and occupational therapy can help with a brachial plexus injury, the best way to prevent these types of injuries is for a doctor to realize that the baby’s shoulder is stuck and try to adjust the baby’s position before the damage is done. According to the United Brachial Plexus Network, nearly all brachial plexus birth injuries are preventable as long as proper delivery techniques are used. Unfortunately, since doctors do not always take the proper precautions around 2-3 births out of every 1000 result in an injury to a baby’s brachial plexus nerves. Given that this many babies are injured in this manner during child birth and that it is such a preventable injury, it is crucial that all doctors helping out at birth are aware of this problem and are extremely careful during delivery.

If you or a loved one gave birth to a baby who suffered a brachial plexus injury during birth, and you believe that the doctor handling the birth failed to take the necessary precautions, please call our birth injury attorneys today. Our Chicago personal injury law firm has helped families all over Illinois receive the compensation that they deserve for what they have had to suffer through as a result of the birth doctor’s negligence that led to their baby suffering from a brachial plexus injury.

Our Chicago birth injury attorneys recently reard about a case in which a baby was still born and the mother filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the hospital, alleging that the hospital staff’s negligence contributed to the baby's death. According to Mercury News, an autopsy was done shortly after the baby passed away and the autopsy found that the baby died of an amniotic fluid infection, which alone does not automatically point to hospital staff negligence. However, shortly after the still birth the hospital fired multiple nurses and required several other nurses to undergo additional training suggesting that the hospital new that there had been at least some negligence on their part. Additionally, following the stillbirth the California Department of Health cited the hospital for failure to follow necessary procedures and stated in their report that the hospital staff’s actions did contribute to the baby dying.

Some of the findings of the Department of Health were that the only nurse present during the epidural was not trained to read the fetal heart monitor, that when the heart monitor was not detecting a heart rate the doctor was not notified immediately, and that no other measures were taken to detect a heart rate when the monitor was not finding one. This evidence suggests that had the hospital properly monitored the mother and baby that they would have seen that the baby was in distress because of the infection and hopefully been able to save the baby.

The hospital responded to these findings by the Department of Health by claiming that they would implement measures to make sure that this type of terrible incident does not happen again, but also blamed the nurses for failing to follow the rules the hospital already had in place. Many of the nurses involved in the firings claim that the hospital fired people that were not even involved in order to show the state that they were reacting to what had happened. While it is important that any hospital where something like this happens to make changes, it is crucial that the changes are ones that will actually make sure that this will never happen again and not just fire people to make it look like they are taking action.

Unfortunately, many birth injuries are the result of hospital staff negligence and failure to take the appropriate measures that are required during birth. These procedures are in place to hopefully help quickly detect and fix any problem that could come up during child birth before it becomes a dangerous problem. There is a growing concern that when hospitals become overcrowded that patients may not always receive the care and attention necessary by the hospital staff because of how busy they are. However, terrible incidents such as this serve as a reminder to how important taking the time and following procedure is with each and every patient.

If you or a loved one have given birth and feel that the hospital did not take the necessary and proper precautions to insure that the baby was delivered safely, please contact our birth injury attorneys right away. Our Chicago based law firm has helped out clients all over Illinois with their birth injury lawsuits, and we have helped them receive compensation for all they have suffered through as a result of someone else’s negligent or careless actions.

Recently, our Chicago birth injury attorneys read about a 16-pound baby born to a woman in Texas. While the majority of onlookers reveled in the newborn's cute and happy photos, it is important to note that there are a number of dangers to both mother and child surrounding an infant with macrosomia (a newborn with an excessive birth weight). Macrosomia is a serious condition often linked with birth injuries such as shoulder dystocia. In addition, babies who are born with Macrosomia are subject to increased risks in the development of asthma, cancer, diabetes, allergies and life-long struggles with obesity.

There are a number of reasons as to why some babies are born with a high birth weight. Some babies are born large because their parents are large people. Some babies are large because they are born after their due date. Hispanic women have an increased chance of delivering overweight children when compared with other races. While these risk factors cannot be prevented, there are a number of others that can be. According to a board-certified OB/GYN on the Daily Beast Health Blog, the “three most significant risks for having an overweight baby are… obesity prior to getting pregnant, excessive weight gain during pregnancy, and uncontrolled diabetes.”

Because of the increased risks in child birth that overweight babies present, it is important that physicians identify the size of a child before his or her birth and to take the necessary precautions in preventing birth injuries when it is known that a baby will be born with macrosomia. If physicians do not follow proper practice in these instances they may be subject to medical malpractice liability.

One of the many concerns that need to be dealt with in the delivery of an overweight child is the possibility of shoulder dystocia. Shoulder dystocia occurs when a mother is able to deliver the head of her child, but the body gets stuck in the mother’s birth canal. When this happens a baby has a high chance of developing nerve damages or other serious injuries including the possibility of death. The chances of delivering a baby with shoulder dystocia are greatly increased for babies that are delivered with macrosomia.

Our Chicago birth-Injury lawyers recognize the difficulty that delivering overweight babies presents. Since our practice was founded, we have represented a number of families in cases involving birth injuries like shoulder dystocia during a macrosomic birth. In one of these cases, our client's physicians failed to perform an ultrasound to determine the size of the baby even though the mother's first child was macrosomic. They also failed to inform the child's mother of the risks associated with delivering a baby of this size or inform her that a c-section was an option to reduce these risks. As a result, our client's daughter suffered a shoulder dystocia and the family pursued a personal injury lawsuit to recover compensation for her injuries and to pay the child's past and future medical care and treatments. We settled the family's shoulder dystocia lawsuit in 2009 for $1.35 million against the negligent physicians and hospital staff that caused her injuries.

The number of deliveries via cesarean section is on the rise, but like any surgical procedure, there are always risks associated with this method. Our Chicago birth injury attorneys recently read an article on the HealthDay page on USNews.com in which we were surprised to learn that the number of c-sections increased 7% from 2002 to 2009. Although they are often convenient, experts warn that these procedures can be dangerous and should only be performed when necessary to protect the health and well-being of both mothers and babies.

According to the report, the rise in the number of cesareans is a result of a number of factors. For one, many mothers and physicians appreciate the convenience of knowing when the child will be delivered. There is also an increase in the number of older women giving birth and those suffering from diabetes and obesity, so physicians may choose c-sections to avoid birth injuries or other complications during delivery. The article also notes that many women may not fully understand the risks associated with cesarean surgery.

As with any surgery, there are a number of potentially serious complications associated with c-sections. In our practice, we represent mothers and children who have been injured during the birth process. Although many c-sections are planned, some mothers require emergency cesareans when complications during birth arise. This could be because the baby is not properly descending through the mother’s birth canal or a breech birth. Although when performed in these situations, a c-section is necessary and actually used as a remedy, sometimes they are delayed, in which case the child may suffer birth injuries. Our Illinois birth injury lawyers have represented clients in cases in which a physician’s failure to perform a c-section in a timely manner led to birth injuries, including a recent $6.5 million settlement for a young girl who suffers from cerebral palsy as a result of a delayed c-section.

Surgical errors and complications may occur during both planned and emergency cesareans. This can include anesthesia errors, blood clots, infection, cardiac arrest, perforated or severed bowels, or severe postpartum bleeding. Although in some cases a c-section may be a mother’s best option to minimize risk to her unborn child, due to the serious nature of these complications, it is important for women and their doctors to carefully weigh their options before deciding whether or not to perform a c-section.

Without prompt and adequate treatment, pregnancy complications often threaten the life of a mother carrying the child as well as child itself. Illinois birth injury lawyers realize that to protect lives, doctors must properly examine and diagnose pregnant mothers who exhibit signs of infection and provide treatment to prevent the condition from worsening.

An article published recently in the Dallas Morning News shows how a treatable infection can quickly degenerate into deadly septic shock if healthcare providers fail to administer appropriate care. A woman was admitted into the hospital with an 104.8 degree fever and complaining of neck and lower back pain – characteristic signs of an infection. A sonogram showed that the woman had been 17 weeks pregnant, but the baby had died. Rather than removing the fetus immediately to address the infection and without examining the woman, doctors ordered the procedure to be performed the next morning, 16 hours later.

During the intervening hours, the woman’s condition devolved into sepsis, a severe blood infection caused by an infection in another part of the body that can result in blood clotting, multiple organ failure, and death. The woman experienced septic shock and fell into a coma that lasted for three months.

Now the woman must receive dialysis three times a week, is on the waiting list for a kidney transplant, and has suffered two strokes, brain surgery, blood clots, liver damage, a partial hysterectomy, and heart surgery. The family filed a medical malpractice lawsuit seeking redress for this pain and suffering and to cope with over $3 million in medical bills accrued so far. The hospital could have avoided all of these afflictions had the staff met the standard of care and recognized the severity of the woman’s condition on that first night.

Our Chicago medical malpractice attorneys have represented families who suffer when their attending physicians fail to properly diagnose and treat pregnancy complications. In June 2009, we settled a case for $5.35 million on behalf of a daughter whose mother died after her physician failed to diagnose and provide timely treatment for her postpartum cardiomyopathy. The mother arrived in the emergency room with complaints of shortness of breath and chest pain. She was not boarded in the ICU and was improperly treated in the emergency room for pneumonia, worsening her heart failure. She died 15 hours later.

Continue reading "Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Filed After Pregnancy Complication Leads to Deadly Blood Infection" »

Our Chicago birth injury attorneys often receive troubling calls from heartbroken parents describing incidents of shoulder dystocia. According to a recent article from MissionLocal.org, shoulder dystocia is a birth complication often associated with, but not limited to pregnant women with diabetes. Shoulder dystocia occurs when a child’s head is delivered, but the shoulders of the child are unable to pass through the birth canal. When this occurs, the child is immediately in jeopardy of suffering serious birth injuries or even death. According to the report, sometimes doctors are able to avoid injury by quickly repositioning the child, but others aren’t so lucky.

Shoulder dystocia is one of the most dangerous birth complications. Once the head of a baby is delivered, significant strain is placed on the umbilical cord. In a typical childbirth setting this is not a problem because of the relatively short period of time between delivery of a baby’s head and shoulders. In shoulder dystocia cases, however, the prolonged stress often leads to permanent injuries.

John Perconti filed a lawsuit against Evanston Hospital in 2005 for complications suffered by Denise Juarez when the birth complication of shoulder dystocia caused her to ultimately suffer from Erb’s palsy, which is the weakness or loss of movement caused by damage to the nerve bundles at one’s shoulders.

While some cases involving shoulder dystocia can not be predicted, many others can, and failing to diagnose a fetus with a high propensity of suffering a shoulder dystocia is medical malpractice. In the case of Denise, the facility was negligent in a number of ways. The staff failed to perform an ultrasound prior to delivering Denise to determine her size, given the fact that Denise’s mother had previously delivered a large baby. Additionally, the staff failed to inform Denise’s mother of her increased risk for shoulder dystocia and failed to offer a Caesarean section as an option to reduce these risks. Finally, during delivery, the labor and delivery team failed to perform the proper disimpaction techniques, and the doctors applied excessive force causing Denise’s permanent nerve damage.

John and the rest of the birth injury lawyer team at Levin and Perconti, using their knowledge gained over many years practicing in the area, were able to settle Denise’s case for $1.3 million dollars. This money will help provide Denise the care and treatment necessary to live a more normal life.

According to a report on Boston.com, a mother received a birth injury settlement of $7 million after her child was born with a severe genetic disorder. The birth injury lawsuit was filed against four medical professionals in Massachusetts. The obstetrician, nurse practitioner, geneticist, and genetic counselor failed to inform the mother of genetic tests available to determine if the then unborn child had a genetic disorder. The testing during the pre-natal treatment would have clearly revealed the severe genetic disorder; the specific disorder is not noted here for privacy purposes.

As noted in the article, although English was not her first language, the mother did her best to convey those wishes. A procedure called amniocentesis was offered during a session, which is a procedure that reveals the entire genetic make-up of the fetus. However a proper translator was not present at that session in violation of the hospital’s medical procedure. Amniocentesis was not offered after that session when a proper translator would have been present.

The child requires constant support and care. The child is currently receiving state- and town-funded care until she turns 21 years old. Only at that time, the settlement money will be available to pay for her care. The settlement will be paid by multiple malpractice insurance providers.

Continue reading "Mother settles malpractice birth injury lawsuit for millions" »

The upcoming birth of a child is one of the most exciting yet stressful periods in many families’ lives. It is for that reason that the quality of the medical professionals working with mothers while pregnant and during the birth is of the utmost importance. Families depend on the choices made by those health professionals to guide the pregnancy along and ensure no additional risks of complications develop.

One often overlooked component of that care involves the medications prescribed to the expectant mother. The Wall Street Journal reported recently on expanded concerns about birth complications caused by certain medications given during a pregnancy. For example, earlier this month the Food and Drug Administration issued strong warnings that mothers who take Topamax have an increased risk of giving birth to babies with cleft palates or cleft lips.

That warning is only the latest in a string of similar proclamations by the Administration. Doctors had previously been advised that expectant mothers who take antipsychotic drugs—Haldol, Seroquel, Abilify—are at risk of suffering withdrawal for prolonged periods of time after birth. The asthma drug terbutaline was also shown to risk heart problems (capable of death) in the pregnant mother.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also commented on the subject, noting that pain relievers like Vicodin, OxyContin, and even Tylenol may increase a child’s risk of heart defects, glaucoma, and other issues.

The possible birth injury risks make it imperative that doctors carefully weigh a medication’s possible benefits with the potential harm. Haphazard, routine, and off the cuff medication decisions by a less than thorough physician could have terrible effects on an unborn child’s development and the health of the mother.

Continue reading "Doctors Must Pay Close Attention to Medication Given to Expecting Mothers" »

An east coast hospital has recently developed a comprehensive obstetrics safety program which has drastically reduced hospital errors in the delivery room. According to Crain’s New York Business, the program requires clear documentation of a doctor’s actions even in cases where unfortunate outcomes were not the result of a doctor’s negligent acts. The program then requires doctors to review the reports. The hospital claims that the safety changes made as a result of this program have resulted in a significant drop of birth injuries.

The program has lead to various safety changes throughout the hospital. For example, the labor and delivery unit eliminated its old procedure of communicating patients’ progress with a dry-erase whiteboard. The unit now uses a new electronic application that can be accessed through any Internet browser. The unit has also prohibited paper charting in order to improve communication.

The labor and delivery unit also hired a full-time patient safety nurse to educate staff on new protocols the doctors wanted and to conduct emergency drills. The department also hired three additional physician assistants to reduce the time the other obstetricians needed to be “on call” during their off hours. This change was made after the program showed that doctors tended to make mistakes when they were deprived of sleep.

Our Chicago birth injury attorneys at Levin & Perconti are excited to hear about these new medical developments in safety and patient care. New innovative therapies can help prevent birth injuries. Too often our lawyers have witnessed tragic childbirth situations involving inadequate medical care.

Continue reading "New safety reform at hospital decreases number of annual birth injuries" »

Researchers at The Leapfrog Group reported that more than 40% of babies born at some hospitals are delivered early for no medical reason. The Leapfrog Group is a hospital-quality watchdog group. Last year, The Leapfrog Group surveyed 773 hospitals and found that thousands of babies were electively scheduled for a delivery before the children were fully developed. Their method of survey was verified and endorsed by the National Quality Forum. Of the 773 hospitals, some hospitals reported 10 times the number of medically unnecessary deliveries when compared to the others. Early delivery puts children at risk for birth-related brain injuries.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) warned that a baby needs at least a completed 39 weeks to develop the brain and other organs. The 39 week benchmark is due to the fact that the brain and other vital organs, such as the lungs, are not completely developed until the last few weeks. Although there are legitimate medical reasons to schedule an early birth, such as broken membranes before labor begins, according to the medical director for the March of Dimes, “a baby’s birth should not be scheduled before 39 weeks of pregnancy, unless their health care provider says it’s medically necessary.”

Early elective delivery doesn’t only put children at risk, it is financially burdensome the new parents. When children are born too early, they must be carefully monitored in the neonatal intensive care unit. According to the March of Dimes, in 2007 the average cost to the parents for a premature birth was $64,713. This is more than four times the average cost of a full-term infant at $15,047. The Leapfrog Group cited a study that estimated about one billion dollars can be saved annually if the rate of early elective deliveries were reduced to only 1.7%.

Continue reading "U.S. Hospitals Deliver Babies Too Early, Leading to Increased Risk for Birth Injuries" »

According to a lawsuit recently filed by Fiona and Stanley Brown, negligence on the part of Lakeland OB-GYN and Lakeland Regional Medical Center caused their child, Destiny, to be born suffering from cerebral palsy and seizures.

The birth injury lawsuit claims that while Fiona and Stanley were at Lakeland Regional, the fetal monitor strip indicated a decrease in fetal heart rate. At thirty-eight weeks pregnant, Fiona was told that she needed to undergo an emergency Cesarean section.

Lakeland Regional is accused of not providing timely care before Destiny’s birth, not treating the fetal distress quickly enough, not reporting changes in Fiona’s condition to the attending doctor quickly enough, and of delaying the C-section.

Continue reading "Child Suffers from Cerebral Palsy and Seizures after Alleged Medical Malpractice" »

A newborn in California recently received the benefits of an innovative therapy that cools the baby’s body to decrease brain injury. This therapy helps minimize birth-related brain injuries that can cause cerebral palsy, neurological problems and other cognitive delays.

The California newborn had been cut off from oxygen and was beginning to swell after his birth. There is only a small window of opportunity in which the therapy can be beneficiation. Doctors had around six hours to drop the baby’s body temperature to 92.3 degrees, about 6 degrees below normal.

To read more about this newborn’s success with this ground-breaking therapy, please visit The Fresno Bee.

Lower body temperatures have long been known to minimize brain injury. However, doctors have debated about the best method in which to lower a baby’s temperature. Since speed is a critical factor in the therapy’s success, the hospital used a whole-body cooling blanket designed for newborns deprived of oxygen. The blanket system is designed to quickly induce whole-body hypothermia.

A lack of oxygen to the brain causes hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. When this occurs the brain reacts to the lack of oxygen by swelling. The swelling then cuts off blood supply to the brain. As the body tries to protect the brain other organs such as the kidneys and liver can be damaged as well.

It is important to quickly cool the body in order to prevent damage because the swelling in the brain occurs over several hours before the damage becomes permanent. Lowering the body’s temperature lowers the body’s metabolism, hearth rate, and blood pressure. As a result, the swelling in the brain is reduced.

Continue reading "New whole-body cooling blanket saves newborn from birth-related brain injuries. " »

A mother in Harris County, Texas has filed suit against the medical center that was caring for her pregnant daughter. In the lawsuit, the mother alleges that her daughter and her unborn grandbaby died as a result of the medical center’s negligence.

The pregnant woman was first sent to the medical center when she was about 37 weeks pregnant. Her Obstetrician/Gynecologist (OB/GYN) recommended that she go to the medical center because her blood pressure was high. The pregnant woman was soon discharged even though her blood pressure remained high.

A few days later, the pregnant woman returned to the medical center. This time, the pregnant woman was complaining of shortness of breath. She was immediately sent to the emergency room but she remained there for almost three hours without treatment. While she waited in the emergency room, she suffered a life ending cardiac arrest. Although doctors did remove the baby by cesarean-section, the baby did not survive. The baby had suffered from severe lack of oxygen before birth.

It was later discovered that the pregnant woman’s cardio-respiratory arrest was caused by pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH). The lawsuit filed against the medical center further alleges that the emergency room physician failed to properly diagnosis the pregnant woman for this condition.

To read more about this story, please visit the Houston Chronicle.

Although the exact cause of pregnancy-induced hypertension is unknown, there are several risk factors. According to the American Pregnancy Association, first-time mothers, women carrying multiple babies, teenage mothers, and women who have high blood pressure prior to pregnancy are most at risk.

Continue reading "Mother files wrongful death lawsuit over preventable pregnancy complication" »

A recent study conducted by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health found that individuals with low Apgar scores at birth were more likely to be later diagnosed with cerebral palsy. The study suggests that the link between low Apgar scores and cerebral palsy is related to the damage caused to the motor control centers of the brain. This damage can occur during pregnancy, during childbirth, or even after birth.

To determine a baby’s Apgar score, the baby's muscle tone, heart rate, muscle reflex, skin coloration, and respiration are evaluated. Each factor is scored on a scale of 0 to 2, with 2 being the best score. The scores are added together and the resulting Apgar score ranges from zero to 10. This test is generally done at one and five minutes after birth, and may be repeated later if the score is and remains low. Scores 3 and below are generally regarded as critically low, 4 to 6 fairly low, and 7 to 10 generally normal.

Cerebral palsy is caused by an injury to the infant’s brain that can occur before, during or shortly after birth. Exposures to radiation and infection during pregnancy have lead to cerebral palsy. Examples of these infections include rubella, cytomegalovirus, herpes, and toxoplasmosis. Asphyxia (lack of oxygen) before birth, hypoxia of the brain, and birth trauma during labor and delivery also cause injury to the infant’s brain, which can lead to cerebral palsy.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 2 to 3 children in 1,000 are affected by brain injuries leading to cerebral palsy. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has estimated that about 800,000 individuals in the United States have cerebral palsy. Babies with cerebral palsy often have an irregular posture and may be born with other birth defects, such as spinal curvature, a small jawbone, or a small head. However, some babies born with cerebral palsy do not show obvious signs and symptoms right after birth.

Continue reading "Low Apgar Scores At Birth Linked To Cerebral Palsy" »

Last week saw the introduction of a new organization committed to protecting the most precious individuals in our communities—our newborn children. The group known as The Newborn Coalition is a collection of advocates who are working to raise awareness of the needs of infant health care.

The statistics highlighting the needs are clear: half a million premature births a year and 28,000 deaths of children under one year old. One in six of those deaths are causedby congenital heart disease. More shocking, however, is the fact that the problem in the United States is in many way getting worse. For the first time in over half a century, the mortality rate for infants is on the rise in the country.

To address the problem, The Newborn Coalition will seek to draw on a wide range of insights from experts in the field, uniting similar organizations to collectively advocate with one voice. The group will work with policymakers on education, innovation, and prevention efforts to systematically improve the care given to young children.

The Executive Director of the new group explains, “The committee’s focus on the newborn ecosystem and applicable research and pilot programs across federal agencies will be valuable in identifying the best possible opportunities to improve health outcomes for the youngest children.”

Continue reading "The Newborn Coalition Advocates For Improved Newborn Health Care" »

According to McMaster University researchers who collected information from over one million women in 84 studies, overweight moms-to-be have considerably higher risks of delivering prematurely. This risk increases with the weight of the women.

In the first 28 days of a baby’s life, those born prematurely have the highest risk of illness and death. The complications from premature birth include breathing problems, infections and feeding problems with the ultimate risk being death. The rise of obesity in women has contributed to the rise in cesarean sections, along with an increased rate of birth trauma and delivery room emergencies, including birth injuries.

Pre-eclampsia, which is a condition of pregnancy marked by high blood pressure, is more likely to be found in obese women as are blood clots in the legs and diabetes. According to Canadian statistics, 23%of women are obese, while 29% are overweight. Women aged 25-34, deliver over 60% of Canadian babies every year and their obesity rates have nearly doubled in the past 25 years.

In comparison, in the United States according to The Weight-control Information Network, 49.6% of non-Hispanic black women, 43 % of Hispanic women and 33% of non-Hispanic white women are obese. With these high levels of obesity among American women, one can assume that women in the U.S. share the same risks as those in Canada.

The studies found an increased risk of about 24% of spontaneous preterm birth in the overweight or obese women. Additionally, these women had a 30% greater risk of induced preterm births before 37 weeks (a full-term pregnancy is 40 weeks). In the very obese women, the risk rises to 70 %.

Although doctors are not recommending pregnant women lose a large amount of weight during their pregnancy, these studies stress that women should try to optimize their weight before pregnancy to reduce the risks to the child. Weight loss can remove or lessen some of the risks. Childbirth is a routine procedure, but malpractice does occur and the effects can be devastating. That is why it is crucial for expecting mothers to do whatever they can to reduce the risk of premature birth and complications during labor and delivery. Doing so may help to prevent serious and lifelong birth injuries such as Erb's Palsy or Cerebral Palsy. Birth injury prevention should be an important consideration for all pregnant women.

Continue reading "Canadian Research Warns Obesity Adds Health Risks for Expectant Mothers and Newborn Babies" »

Parents who suffer from a combination of gestational diabetes (GDM) and obesity have recently been linked to an increased chance of delivering children with macrosomia. Macrosomia, having a very high birth weight, can lead to various birth injuries if not recognized and approached correctly by a patient’s doctor.

A recent investigation reported by Dr. Metzger, M.D., of Northwestern University School of Medicine in Chicago found that obese women had a 13.6% increased chance of delivering a baby with macrosomia compared to women of a healthy weight. If an obese woman then develops gestational diabetes her risk of delivering a macrosomic child is 20.2% above that of a woman of normal weight.

Delivering a baby with a high birth weight takes much more finesse than delivering a baby of normal weight. If a doctor fails to recognize that a baby is macrosomic they may not be able to take the necessary precautions to minimize the risks posed by the delivery. According to Allahyar Jazayeri, M.D. in an article posted by emedicine, attempts at perinatal diagnosis of macrosomia have proven difficult and are often inaccurate so a doctor should always be prepared for the possible complications of macrosomia.

Continue reading "Gestational Diabetes and Obesity Linked to Increased Birth Weight in Babies" »

The Daily Herald reports that a medical malpractice lawsuit resulted in a $29.1 million verdict for a boy suffering the effects of a severe birth injury. Medical malpractice occurring during the boy’s delivery at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago resulted in the child’s Chicago birth injury and brain damage. The boy is now six years old and suffers from quadriplegia and Cerebral Palsy, disorders that resulted from brain injury during his birth. NBC Chicago explains that a doctor ignored an infection in the mother prior to birth, and failure to treat the infection resulted in the child being born with Cerebral Palsy. As a result of the birth injury, the boy cannot walk, talk, or eat through his mouth.

Cerebral Palsy Information explains that Cerebral Palsy is often caused by brain injury either during pregnancy, during birth or shortly after birth. Several infections during a mother’s pregnancy can severely damage a fetus’ nervous system and result in Cerebral Palsy. Quadriplegia is a form of Cerebral Palsy that affects a child’s arms and legs and causes stiff, permanently contracted muscles.

4MyChild notes that about ten to twenty percent of children with Cerebral Palsy acquired it after birth, while many more children developed it during pregnancy or at birth. Two aspects of long labor send signals to doctors that brain damage can result in a birth injury to a baby. If a baby becomes stuck in the mother’s birth canal without oxygen or a doctor does not deliver the baby within 24 hours of the mother’s water breaking, the baby is at a significantly increased risk for a birth injury. Furthermore, doctors need to pay attention to whether the mother develops a fever during pregnancy because this too can lead to brain damage.

As 4My Child explains, quick action is the key to giving birth to a healthy baby instead of one with serious birth injury consequences like Cerebral Palsy. No child should have to suffer the effects of birth injuries that occurred because of medical malpractice. When medical malpractice does occur, however, and a child suffers the life long consequences of a doctor’s negligence, our Illinois birth injury lawyers are here to help.

According to Delaware Online, a Delaware Superior Court jury recently determined that a doctor’s medical malpractice and negligent failure to treat properly treat jaundice caused a newborn baby boy to develop Cerebral Palsy. The jury awarded $6.25 million in damages to the baby’s family. The baby was born without complications, but his mother took him to see the doctor four days later when his appearance turned yellow. The doctor failed to properly treat the jaundice by not testing the baby’s bilirubin level and not doing phototherapy. Had the doctor actually done these tests, the doctor would have found toxic levels of bilirubin in the baby’s system and could have cured the baby very quickly. Instead, the baby’s illness went undiagnosed and untreated until it was too late to reverse the damage done. The baby developed Cerebral Palsy.

March of Dimes explains that Cerebral Palsy is a group of conditions that cause abnormalities in parts of the brain that control muscle movements, and Cerebral Palsy affects a person’s movement, balance and posture. Severe jaundice can cause Cerebral Palsy. Jaundice is a yellowing of the skin and eyes that results in a pigment called bilirubin building up in the bloodstream. When the levels of bilirubin become too high, such as the toxic levels found in the Delaware baby, a baby is at risk for permanent brain damage which leads to Cerebral Palsy. Severe jaundice needs to be treated quickly, such as with special lights and blood transfusions.

The Illinois birth injury attorneys at Levin & Perconti have years of experience representing clients who have suffered birth injuries, including those resulting in Cerebral Palsy. Because Cerebral Palsy leads to lifelong medical expenses and often the need for special medical care, receiving a verdict or settlement can help compensate the families affected by Cerebral Palsy. As explained to Delaware Online, the Delaware baby’s mother was “thankful the award will enable her son to receive the care that he needs”. If you believe your baby has suffered a birth injury or brain injury as a result of the negligence of medical personnel, please contact our Chicago birth injury lawyers to discuss your case.

As cerebralpalsy.org reports, Cerebral Palsy is a group of disorders that can be caused by a birth injury or brain damage later in life, and it results from the brain’s inability to control the body adequately. Cerebral Palsy affects chronic movement and posture, causing stiff or difficult movement, loss of depth perception and balance, and/or involuntary or uncontrolled movements. Approximately 10,000 babies each year in the United States will develop Cerebral Palsy, and it is estimated that 800,000 people in the United States live with the disorder. Of that number, about 2-3 children out of every 1,000 children have Cerebral Palsy.

A York Daily Record interview with Kyle Barnhart, a 19 year old college student, shows that people affected by a Cerebral Palsy birth disorder can overcome their disability and become very successful. Barnhart lives with Cerebral Palsy, and while he travels across campus in a motorized wheelchair, uses an electronic communication device to help him speak, and is assisted by aides, his life reflects that of a typical college student. Barnhart throws around a football with his friends, participates in dorm pranks and antics and regularly speaks in class. Cerebral Palsy is thought to be caused by a prenatal brain injury, but Barnhart does not have mental disabilities; in fact, he made the Dean’s List during his first semester of college.

Our Chicago birth injury attorneys represent clients who have developed Cerebral Palsy as a result of medical malpractice and doctor error. For example, we reached a $4.5 million settlement on behalf of a child who suffered brain injury leading to Cerebral Palsy because a doctor failed to perform a timely Caesarean section despite fetal distress. The Illinois birth injury lawyers at our firm also reached a $2.3 million settlement for another child who suffered a severe brain injury and Cerebral Palsy when a physician failed to perform a Caesarean section in a timely manner after the child’s mother complained of a ripping and tearing feeling in her uterus. Birth injuries, such as Cerebral Palsy, often require lifelong medical care. Verdicts and settlements reached on behalf of victims can help to compensate for lifetime medical expenses, potential loss of income and pain and suffering from these injuries. If you believe that your child suffered a birth injury as a result of a healthcare provider’s negligence, please contact us to discuss your case.

Researchers at Harvard Medical School recently released a paper in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology that found the average birth weight in American newborns has dropped by two ounces. The study looked at babies born between 1990 and 2005 and noted that this was the first decline in average birth weight since the 1950s. Additionally, the study found a decrease in the number of large babies born. This is seen as a positive because it leads to fewer instances of birth trauma. A decrease in the number of babies born over the 90th percentile also reduces the occurrence of serious birth injuries that can lead to lifelong health conditions, such as cerebral palsy. Follow the link to read more about this birth weight study.

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has just announced that it will be launching a new research program called the Medication Exposure in Pregnancy Risk Evaluation Program to study the effects of prescription drugs taken during pregnancy. The program is a collaborative effort between the FDA and researchers at the HMO Research Network Center for Education and Research in Therapeutics (CERT), Kaiser Permanente, and Vanderbilt University.

According to a new study, most mothers have taken at least one prescription drug during pregnancy, yet little is known about the actual risks of taking such drugs, such as the development of birth defects, because clinical research regarding drug safety during pregnancy is scant. This new program should provide the answers that doctors need for prescribing medications and allow expectant mothers to make informed decisions regarding the health of themselves and their babies.

Read more about the details of this new study at injuryboard.com.

A research team at Wayne State University is convinced that the big solution to preventing and treating cerebral palsy may come in a small package. The husband-and-wife team consisting of chemical engineering professor, Rangaramanujam Kannan and assistant pediatrics professor Dr. Sujatha Kannan, has received a patent for using tiny polymers to attack what it considers to be the root of the disorder: inflammation in the brain.

Cerebral palsy is a condition made up of a group of motor disorders caused by brain damage that often occurs after suffering from a birth injury or an infection that develops while in the womb. Prevention of the condition has thus far proven to be very difficult because it is generally diagnosed only after the damage has already occurred.

The research team has developed tiny tree-shaped polymers called dendrimers, which range from 5-10 nanometers long (over 700 times smaller than a human red blood cell), that are used to carry medicine directly to inflamed areas in the brain. The team believes that this method, in conjunction with the identification and diagnosis of the neuroinflammation in newborns, could prevent, or at least reduce, the development of cerebral palsy. Dr. Kannan is currently able to detect such inflammation in the brains of newborn rabbits and she believes that doctors might eventually be able to do the same in human newborns. Once detected, the dendrimers could then be used to target the inflammation, which in turn could prevent the condition from developing.

For more information on using this nanotechnology to treat cerebral palsy, click here.

In a recent study conducted by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the cases of child birth injuries are decreasing due to some medical breakthroughs and improvements on the healthcare system. The agency recently released data from 1,000 hospitals across the US and found that more than 157,000 child birth injuries could have prevented. The most common of the preventable birth injuries was the tearing between the vagina and rectum. This process is not complicated; however, some doctors had failed to fix it perfectly so that it caused complications. The study also revealed that instruments such as forceps put mothers at higher risk of vaginal tears. Also, mothers from wealthy households were 44 percent more likely to have vaginal injuries compared to those from low-income families. This is due to the increase in premature births in low-income families. The study also showed that certain factors can determine the likelihood of injuries in child birth. White babies are more vulnerable to injuries compared to ethnic groups such as African-American and Hispanic. Also male infants are more vulnerable to birth injuries than female babies. The government data showed that the most common injury among babies is a clavicle fracture. Also babies can dislocate their hips or break their thigh bone when their leg is twisted during deliveries. In some deliveries, brachial plexus, which is a group of nerves located from the neck and arm, may be injured. This happens when the baby’s head and arm is pulled in two opposite directions. To read more about the birth injury study, please click the link.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle throughout pregnancy is very beneficial for not only the health of the mother, but also for reducing the risk of birth injury. Babies born to women who eat a well balanced diet and exercise regularly throughout their pregnancy are less likely to be born prematurely, with low birth-weight or with birth defects. Exercise during pregnancy can maintain a woman’s muscle tone and build muscle which can help to lower the blood pressure of the fetus. Prenatal exercise can be an essential building block to a successful pregnancy and healthy baby. However, a woman should consult with a doctor before beginning any exercise regime in order to reduce any occurrence of birth injury. It is recommended that women who are pregnant keep their heart rate under 140 beats per minute and drink plenty of water. Since the body produces the hormone relaxin, the risk of injury during pregnancy can be increased if there is not special consideration paid to the body. To read more about the ways to decrease birth injury, please click the link.

A study conducted, which included more than 150 newborns with birth injuries, showed great promise in preventing birth injuries. This method involves injections of a hormone that stimulates red blood cell formation. The procedure can begin as late as two days after the birth injury. To read more about this study on preventing birth injuries, click here.

After a 13 million dollar verdict in favor of a mother who was not informed that a cesarean section was an option, the court decided that informed consent needs to involved information about all options. The mother’s son suffered a birth injury because of the lack of consent. The traumatic birth injury the child suffered from was cerebral palsy. This is a huge step for patients informed consent. To read the entire article click here “Informed Consent for Birth Injuries Takes a Small Step Forward”

Between 2000 and 2006, birth injuries have dropped by 30%. Despite the decline, doctors feel that there are still a lot of birth injuries that still can be prevented. It is estimated that approximately 158,000 preventable birth injuries still take place. To read the entire article click here “birth injuries”

Before birth, a baby’s lungs are filled with fluid and very little oxygen flows through them. Instead, it receives oxygen through the placenta and umbilical cord. When an infant is born, a burst of oxygen-rich blood is delivered to him or her by a pulsation of the placenta and umbilical cord until its lungs are working and supplying oxygen on their own. This surge of blood is necessary in order for the newborn’s lungs to adequately expand and supply the brain with the oxygen it needs. Without it, the baby’s lungs fail to function adequately, causing his or her blood pressure to drop. This in turn can lead to oxygen deprivation and result in lung and brain damage.

In as little as 5 minutes after birth, the umbilical cord naturally begins to clamp, halting this blood flow. The common practice of hospitals, however, is to immediately place a clamp on the cord, usually within 1 minute, and often within 30 seconds, following the baby’s birth. This deprives the baby of a continuous source of oxygen until the lungs begin functioning properly. In addition to injuring the baby’s lungs, this lack of oxygen can cause serious brain damage, leading to birth injuries such as cerebral palsy, autism, learning disorders and mental deficiency.

Click here for information about a study into the dangers of premature cord clamping and for more information about umbilical cord clamping birth injuries.

A doctor recently unveiled medical software that may predict the probability of shoulder dystocia during birth. Shoulder dystocia is one of the most common complications during delivery and 20% of cases result in birth injury. Although some doctors believe that shoulder dystocia is both “unpredictable and unpreventable,” users of the new software hope to calculate the risk of this birth injury through algorithms based on data from the mother and baby. Read more about this new software that may predict shoulder dystocia in newborns.

A computer program is shaping up to be the new hero in the prevention of shoulder dystocia and brachial plexus injuries. A new software program, called CALM Shoulder Screen, has been developed that calculates the risk of shoulder dystocia with permanent injury. The program analyzes several factors, including the mothers’ height and weight and determines whether they are at risk of suffering shoulder dystocia during delivery. Those ascertained to be at high risk can avoid the birth injury by opting for delivery by c-section. Obstetricians throughout the country have began utilizing this web-based system and it has been proven effective to be effective. The program can be used anytime after the 37th week of gestation.

For more information about this birth injury prevention software, click here.

When it comes to babies who are deprived of oxygen during birth, every second counts. Delays in the performance of c-sections can cause serious injuries to oxygen-deprived babies, such as brain damage and cerebral palsy. Hospitals and doctors can significantly reduce the length of c-section delays, however, by implementing quality improvement programs by doctors and hospitals, according to a new study published in this month’s issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology. In particular, the study found that, after 2 years of following such a program, the number of emergency c-sections that were delayed for over 30 minutes was reduced by up to 30% in some situations. These findings suggest that many devastating birth injuries could be prevented if hospitals and doctors simply implemented programs to address the delays.

Click the following link for more information about the quality improvement program study and its findings.

Babies who are deprived of oxygen for any significant period of time during birth have a very high risk of suffering permanent brain damage. This risk of birth injury has shown to be reduced, however, by a new therapy that is pretty cool, literally. The therapy, called induced hypothermia, involves placing an infant on a cooling blanket within 6 hours of its birth for a period of 3 days, bringing its temperature down from the normal 98.6 degrees to about 92 degrees. Research shows that, while the therapy may not completely prevent brain damage, babies suffering from hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), or birth hypoxia and asphyxia, that receive the treatment have a greater chance of survival and the extent of their brain damage from oxygen deprivation is reduced.

Read more about this new cooling therapy here.

Scientists at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., have developed two compounds that may be effective in protecting against cerebral palsy. The findings from their experiments with rabbits suggest that the compounds may have prevented the development of the disorder, which would have otherwise developed, following a lack of oxygen to the fetus. Notably, all of the fetuses born to mother rabbits that were treated with the compounds survived, whereas, over half of those without treatment died. Perhaps most impressive is that 83% of the animals treated with one of the compounds were born without any characteristics of cerebral palsy at all. More testing is necessary before they can conclude that the compounds will work to prevent birth injuries in humans, but these findings bring hope that infants subjected to birth hypoxia, such as those who suffer umbilical cord compression during labor, need not suffer permanent brain damage.

Read more about this exciting cerebral palsy prevention breakthrough in an article published by US News & World Report.

Just 4 years ago, only a third of all infants born in the United States were required to undergo screening tests to determine whether they had acquired any of a multitude of conditions. Now, all states and the District of Columbia have enacted rules or regulations requiring newborn screening for at least 21 disorders including genetic, metabolic, hormonal and functional disorders. The screening is important to detect the presence of such birth defects and birth injuries because many have no visible symptoms until after permanent damage has developed. Early detection allows for timely treatment, which can prevent permanent injuries such as brain damage and mental retardation from occurring. If you are interested in learning more about newborn screening and the disorders that it can detect, the March of Dimes is an excellent resource.

Read more about the newborn screening requirements here.

New research, presented at the Third International Cerebral Palsy Conference in Sydney, Australia, indicates that babies born in the breech position (feet-first) are 4 times more likely to develop cerebral palsy later in life than babies born in the normal (head-first) position. According to Diana Heggie, President of Cerebral Palsy Australia, knowing the risk factors of the developmental disorder is just as important as being aware of its current treatment.

A new study by scientists from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Danish researchers has found that babies born to mothers who develop infections while pregnant have a greater risk of having cerebral palsy. Specifically, the study found that the risk of cerebral palsy was increased by 3 to 6 times when the mother had developed infections such as urinary tract infections. This research suggests that missed or delayed diagnoses of the infections, resulting in a lack of early treatment, may cause this birth injury in some babies.

Read more about the pregnancy infection study here.

While babies can develop cerebral palsy a number of different ways, including as a result of medical negligence during birth, premature babies have a significantly higher risk of developing the developmental disorder than babies carried full-term. In fact, about a third of all cases of cerebral palsy occur in pre-term births. Evidence from a new Cochrane Review study, however, indicates that treating women at risk of very preterm birth with magnesium sulfate may increase the baby’s chance of being born free of cerebral palsy by as much as 32 percent. The treatment was also found to decrease the chance of developing other major movement disabilities by 39 percent.

Read more about the magnesium sulfate study here.

A new study has found that treating even mild gestational diabetes significantly reduces the risk of certain birth injuries and lessens the need for emergency C-sections. Gestational diabetes occurs during late pregnancy, when a mother’s body is unable to produce and use all the insulin that it needs. Without enough insulin, the body is unable to convert the glucose into energy and, as a result, it builds up in the mother’s blood. This blood then reaches the baby through the placenta, giving it more sugar than it needs. The baby stores this excess energy as fat. Because the baby is larger than normal, there is an increased risk of its shoulders becoming lodged behind the mother’s pelvis during delivery, a situation known as shoulder dystocia. If the doctors and healthcare providers are negligent in their delivery, the baby can suffer from Brachial Plexus injuries. These injuries can be severe and permanent and may include paralysis and deformation of the baby’s arms. If you have been diagnosed with even a mild case of gestational diabetes, it is therefore important that you receive proper treatment in order to reduce these risks.

Read more about gestational diabetes and its risks here.