A Chicago Birth Injury Lawyer Says Many Birth Injuries Are Preventable.

The birth of a child should be one of the happiest days a parent ever experiences. However, for many Chicago parents, a joyous event is marred with pain, fear, and grief when a child sustains broken bones during labor and delivery. Parents should not assume that broken bones are a common risk of labor and fail to ask questions about why the injury occurred. Just because a serious injury can happen, does not mean that it should.

Although broken bones are a somewhat common complication of childbirth, an experienced physician should be able to prevent them. Well-practiced doctors should be able to detect—prior to delivery—potential issues that could cause bone breakage and choose an appropriate delivery method to avoid the problem. A few of these broken bone birth injuries include:

• Broken clavicle – break in the collarbone
• Femoral break – break in the thigh bone that sometimes occurs in an abdominal breech delivery
• Depressed skull – a type of break in the skull that pushes the bone inwards and could require surgery later to repair the shape of the head

In order to prevent a Chicago birth injury, physicians should perform a careful examination of the mother and bay and put together a labor and delivery plan to ensure the safety of both. Following are some issues a doctor might consider:

• Baby’s birth weight – premature babies or those with a higher birth weight may suffer broken bones during delivery
• Cephalopelvic Disproportion – the mother’s pelvis is not the right size or shape to deliver the infant vaginally
• Prolonged Labor – a long or difficult labor increases the likelihood of a birth injury

Broken bones and other birth injuries are somewhat common in Chicago and across the nation—many of them are the result of negligence or carelessness on the part of the doctor, nurse, medical staff, or hospital. If your child suffered a birth injury, contact a Chicago birth injury lawyer at Lane Brown. Our number is 312-332-1400 and the case evaluation is complimentary. We will take the time to hear your story and advise you of your legal rights and options.