The Main Causes of Birth Injury

Birth injury is a serious problem plaguing mothers in delivery rooms across the nation. Expectant mothers rely on sound medical advice and treatment throughout their pregnancy so they can deliver happy, healthy babies. While this is how the system should work, complications can happen at any point along the way. Here are the main causes of birth injury every parent should know.

The Baby’s Size and Positioning

Babies grow in the womb according to natural processes, including their final alignment for delivery. However, many children are not in the correct position for delivery in the weeks preceding childbirth. So, it is important to rotate and ready them for a head-first delivery. If the baby comes out the wrong way, it could lead to birth complications for the child and mother. Additionally, babies grow and grow inside the womb, but there are times when they grow too large. If a baby is over average size, it can be challenging to birth them.

The Mother’s Pre-Existing Health Concerns

One of the most common and most important health concerns facing mothers is high blood pressure. Hypertension can cause preterm delivery and preeclampsia, so most doctors help pregnant mothers manage their blood pressure in the months preceding delivery.

Mothers cannot help that their pregnancy brings about gestational diabetes, but it is a health concern that doctors must monitor. If there is no treatment, the blood sugar irregularities could harm the mother through the pregnancy and even afterward if type two diabetes develops.

The Doctor’s Negligence or Malpractice

While there is nothing that can change the first two types of birth injuries, a doctor’s negligence or malpractice is entirely avoidable. Delivering mothers entrust their childbirth to a team of medical staff who monitor and deliver their children. However, doctors are not free from error, and they can cause more harm than good during a delivery. Doctors commit malpractice or practice medicine negligently when they incorrectly use medical instruments or pull the baby in harmful ways that damage the baby’s head, shoulders, or nerves.

While the baby and mother’s concerns are unavoidable, a doctor’s choices are their own. Knowing the main causes of birth injury can help you discern whether your experience was the fault of your attending physician. Should you want to pursue legal action against the doctor who harmed your child, reach out to an Idaho birth injury attorney on our team at Rossman Law Group today.