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4 Most Common Birth Injuries in Michigan Hospitals

Legally Reviewed and Edited by: Terry Cochran

If you and your child are the victims of a birth injury in Michigan that resulted from medical malpractice, finding a birth injury attorney to help you handle your claim is imperative.

Unfortunately, birth injuries are an all-too-common occurrence in hospitals in Michigan. Though not all birth injuries are the result of medical malpractice or negligence, the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project estimates that nearly 50% of reported birth injuries are avoidable with proper planning for risk.

Your birth injury attorney can help you determine if any of the following four common birth injuries that your child has suffered were the result of medical malpractice.

Brachial Palsy Injuries

Brachial palsy injuries refer to various forms of palsy injuries, including Erb’s, Klumpke’s, and global palsy. The different types of brachial palsy refer to which area of the brachial plexus was damaged.

The brachial plexus consists of a network of nerves that are located in the lower neck and underarm areas. This network of nerves carries signals from the spinal cord to the nerves in the shoulders, arms, hands, and fingers and is responsible for providing movement and sensation to those areas.

The term palsy means weakness, as brachial palsy injuries typically result in the loss of motion or weakness of motion in the arms, shoulders, fingers, and hands. This weakness ranges from mild sensation and movement loss to complete loss of feeling and an inability to control the arm at all. It can also be temporary or permanent.

Infants suffer brachial palsy injuries during birth as a result of shoulder dystocia, which occurs when the shoulder is caught behind the pubic bone. If the attending physician pulls too hard or stretches the infant’s neck incorrectly during delivery, it can tear or otherwise cause damage to the brachial plexus.

Facial Paralysis

Facial paralysis results when the baby’s face is under too much pressure for a prolonged period during delivery, causing damage to the nerves of the face.

Some of the symptoms associated with facial paralysis include the infant’s inability to close the eyes adequately and a lack of movement on the affected side of the face. If the damage incurred to the nerves is not severe, the condition may clear up after a few weeks. However, the paralysis may also be permanent.

These injuries often occur in cases where the attending physician uses vacuum extraction or forceps incorrectly.

Brain Injuries

When the infant’s brain is deprived of oxygen during childbirth, it can lead to brain damage that results in several medical issues. These issues can be range in severity and include cerebral palsy, chronic seizures, and intellectual and physical impairment.

Unfortunately, oxygen deprivation is another common injury incurred during birth. If the doctor fails to monitor issues that impede on the infant’s ability to take in oxygen, such as issues with the umbilical cord or leaving the child in the birth canal for too long, it may be considered negligence.

Fractures

Fractures are another common birth injury that can occur during especially difficult or long deliveries, with the common fractures affecting a baby’s clavicle bone.

A clavicle fracture can occur if the baby is pulled too hard during delivery or if the infant’s shoulders are pulled too forcefully while they are in the breech position.

The Takeaway

In many cases, birth injuries can be avoided and prevented with adequate care. Contact the professional attorneys at your local medical malpractice law firm in Michigan to discuss your child’s injury and determine whether you have a claim to negligence.

Remember, birth injuries can be life-changing for you and your infant and necessitate lifelong financial support. You have the right to be compensated for the suffering that is caused by medical malpractice.

You can find lawyers specializing in medical malpractice in Michigan like the experienced firm of Cochran, Kroll and Associates P.C. who have a registered nurse on their legal team. Attorney, Eileen Kroll is also a member of the Birth Trauma Litigation Group and the Medical Negligence Section with the American Association for Justice, and she is committed to ensuring your birth injury case is taken seriously, allowing you to receive the settlement and peace of mind you deserve.

For a free consultation call our firm toll free at 866-MICH-LAW. We never charge a fee unless a recovery is made.

Disclaimer : The information provided is general and not for legal advice. The blogs are not intended to provide legal counsel and no attorney-client relationship is created nor intended.

Ms. Barry is studying Communications at the University of Pennsylvania. She has won multiple awards both for her persuasive and creative writing and has written extensively on the topics of medical malpractice law, personal and birth injury law, product liability law. When she's not researching and writing about these topics, she edits a literary magazine and tutors students at Penn's writing center.

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