Birth injuries are much different from birth defects

On Behalf of | Mar 7, 2019 | Birth Injuries

Many things can happen when a woman is having a baby. From the moment she goes into labor, she will be monitored closely. But the nurses have a difficult job to do. While most nurses have one patient in the room, labor and delivery nurses have two patients – the woman and the baby. Trying to balance both of them can be rather taxing, but they have a duty to do their job to the best of their abilities.

Some of the things that might go wrong during labor and delivery could be prevented if the woman and baby were closely monitored. One important signal that something is amiss is the baby’s heart rate dropping during labor. If this happens, the nurse might try to have the woman go into a different position. If that doesn’t work, the woman might need to deliver surgically.

If the woman has significant bleeding, that might be a sign of a problem with the placenta. This might also require a surgical delivery. Sometimes, the woman might have difficulties delivering the baby because the shoulders become stuck in the birth canal. This is known as shoulder dystocia and can be very challenging to manage. While some women might be able to work through this and still delivery naturally, others might have to head to the operating room.

It is important to understand that there are differences between a birth injury and a birth defect. A birth defect isn’t the fault of the nurses in the delivery room. Instead, birth defects are caused by something prior to the birth. If you or your baby suffered a birth injury, you might choose to seek compensation. An attorney can help you learn more about your legal options.

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