Cleveland, Ohio Birth Injury Attorneys

Legal Help for Children Suffering From Shoulder Dystocia

Shoulder dystocia occurs when one or both of a baby’s shoulders gets stuck behind the mother’s pubic bone and delivery does not progress. Failing to properly handle shoulder dystocia can have serious, even fatal consequences:

• A baby may suffer oxygen deprivation if the umbilical cord is pinched, which could lead to brain damage or death
• The baby may have a broken collarbone or arm
• The baby may suffer a brachial plexus injury. Damage to the brachial plexus nerve can occur if an obstetrician puts his hands on the baby’s head and tries to pull down and twist the head, which stretches the baby’s neck. If the brachial plexus injury is severe, the baby may have permanent loss of use or impaired use of his arm and hand.

Mothers Can Also Suffer Serious, Possibly Fatal Injuries:

• The mother can suffer a hemorrhage.
• Her uterus can rupture, which is life threatening.

It is not possible for a doctor or midwife to predict which deliveries may be at risk for shoulder dystocia, though the risk increases if the baby is unusually large and the mother’s pelvic opening is small, if the mother has gestational diabetes, if she has had a previous baby with shoulder dystocia, if she is carrying more than one child, or if the baby is overdue.

There are a number of maneuvers that doctors or midwives can try in order to position the shoulder properly for delivery. As a last resort, the doctor may push the baby’s head back inside the vagina and to do an emergency C-section. The most dangerous maneuver is pulling on the baby’s head and neck.
 

Was Your Child’s Injury Caused by Medical Malpractice?

Do you think that your child’s birth injury may have been caused by a birth error? The birth injury attorneys at the Cleveland law office of Dennis Seaman & Associates help parents find the answers they are looking for. We are one of the largest, most established medical malpractice and personal injury law firms in Ohio with the resources and access to medical experts needed to investigate and prove medical malpractice cases involving Ob/GYN errors.
 

Protect Your Rights: Free Attorney Consultation

If we believe negligence may have occurred, we will conduct a thorough investigation of your case. We will advance the cost of this investigation with the expectation that we will make a financial recovery for you. If we are unable to obtain a recovery in your case, you owe us nothing. Contact our Cleveland, Ohio, personal injury lawyers to arrange a free consultation. Whether or not you ultimately decide to hire our law firm, one of our attorneys will listen to your story and explain your legal options.