For nine months, you’ve been waiting to welcome your new baby into the world. You’ve prepared as much as possible and are hoping and praying that everything goes smoothly with the birth. However, sometimes things don’t go exactly as planned. There can be complications with giving birth that lead to injury or problems with your child.
Giving birth has always been a risky procedure. The delivery process isn’t a perfect process, and accidents or problems can change the situation in an instant. While the body is designed for childbirth, there can still be complications that can affect the mother, or even the child, during a traumatic birth. In these cases, the child may suffer from a birth injury. This can be anything from minor bruising to more serious brain injuries.
There are several different things that can cause a birth injury or trouble during the delivery process. If you’ve suffered from a traumatic birth that affected your child, you may be feeling lost and confused about what to do next. You may have legal options to pursue if your child’s injury is serious or life-changing. Just know, you aren’t alone. Natural birth is a tricky procedure, and it doesn’t end perfectly for anyone. Let’s look at a few of the common causes of birth injury and what your next step should be if you were affected by trauma during the birth process.
What is a birth injury?
Before we look at the causes of birth injuries, it is important to define what they are. A birth injury is simply any physical injury a child may suffer as a result of coming out of the birth canal. This will often be swelling of the head, internal bleeding, facial nerve damage, or a broken clavicle.
What causes birth injury?
There are many different causes of birth injury, many of which are unpreventable. If the baby is too large or facing the wrong way in the birth canal, it can cause issues. Long labor or slow contractions can cause a traumatic birth. Having to deliver a newborn through an emergency cesarean section may mean exposing mother and child to trauma. Injuries can also be caused if forceps or other tools are used during the delivery process. Lastly, when the umbilical cord is around a baby’s neck, that can cause a lack of oxygen, which can lead to problems later on.
Get insurance coverage for birth injuries.
When you’re getting your health insurance coverage, know what is included when it comes to childbirth. Usually, this is included for women, but you don’t want to be affected by exclusions. Just like when you’re shopping for auto insurance, you want to protect against everything, because you never know what could happen. When comparing comprehensive car insurance, you do your research, know the facts, and claim all different kinds of liability insurance. You should do the same with your health insurance. This way, even after a traumatic birth or problems with your newborn, you have optional coverage in place for serious injury or high medical bills.
Get compensation if it’s owed.
A traumatic birth isn’t necessarily anyone’s fault, but there are cases where negligence or poor decisions by medical professionals can lead to a newborn’s serious injury. If you’ve experienced one of these instances, you may have a medical malpractice claim on your hands. If the doctor or nurse caused a birth defect or brain injury, you can seek legal advice and file a birth injury lawsuit. Wherever you live, find the best attorney in your area to help you get maximum compensation in your lawsuits, such as a birth injury lawyer in Chicago who will help you get compensation to pay medical bills and even help with a permanent disability or emotional trauma for mother and child.
