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Since 1979, Dov Apfel has been passionate about advocating for birth injury and medical malpractice victims. Mr. Apfel’s career-long record of achievements in birth injury litigation, education, and advocacy has been recognized by the Executive Board of the Birth Trauma Litigation Group of the American Association for Justice. His expertise is demonstrated by his numerous awards, presentations on birth injury topics at legal conferences for organizations like the AAJ and ATLA, and articles published by Trial Magazine and many others.
Read Bio
Since 1979, Dov Apfel has been passionate about advocating for birth injury and medical malpractice victims. Mr. Apfel’s career-long record of achievements in birth injury litigation, education, and advocacy has been recognized by the Executive Board of the Birth Trauma Litigation Group of the American Association for Justice. His expertise is demonstrated by his numerous awards, presentations on birth injury topics at legal conferences for organizations like the AAJ and ATLA, and articles published by Trial Magazine and many others.
What is a Birth Injury?
A birth injury is a physical trauma suffered by an infant at birth. While birth injuries occur in less than 1% of all infants, they can sometimes lead to significant and potentially lifelong conditions.
Some complications occur naturally, but many serious birth injuries are preventable and may result from medical negligence during pregnancy, labor, or delivery. Severe birth injuries tend to involve damage to the head and brain, including internal bleeding, nerve damage, fractures, and more.
Common Birth Injuries
With quick diagnosis and treatment, the worst outcomes of birth injuries can usually be avoided. However, it’s impossible to fully prevent the possibility of a birth injury.
Here is a deeper look and explanation of the top ten most common birth injuries in the U.S.:
1. Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy is caused by damage to the parts of the brain that control motor function, often because of oxygen deprivation or other birth complications. It is typically diagnosed when a child fails to meet expected developmental milestones. Cerebral palsy isn’t fatal on its own and doesn’t usually impact one’s lifespan, but it is a permanent condition that can significantly impair one’s mobility.
2. Facial Paralysis
Facial nerve palsy is the loss of voluntary muscle control of the face. While it can be serious, the condition often goes away over time. The injury is caused by the pressure put on the baby’s seventh cranial nerve during birth.
3. Hypoxic-ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)
HIE is brain damage caused by oxygen or blood deprivation at birth. Inadequate oxygen levels can decrease a newborn’s blood pressure and heart rate, limiting the blood flow to vital organs and tissue. When this happens, irreversible neurological or cellular damage can occur and lead to permanent deficits and disabilities such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and vision and hearing loss.
4. Cephalohematoma
Cephalohematoma is the gathering of blood under an infant’s scalp as a result of broken blood vessels during birth. It usually develops because of minor trauma, such as when a physician uses tools like forceps or vacuums to help with a difficult delivery. Cephalohematoma usually goes away on its own and has no lasting effects.
5. Brachial Plexus and Erb’s Palsy
The brachial plexus is a bundle of nerves located in the upper shoulder that can be damaged when excessive force or improper technique is used to guide a baby’s shoulders through the birth canal, especially during a shoulder dystocia emergency. The damage from a brachial plexus injury can be minor, although in some cases, can lead to conditions like Erb’s Palsy, or weakness in the shoulder or arm. Some nerve injuries can be permanent or require surgery to restore function.
6. Fractured Collarbone
A broken clavicle, or collarbone, is a common injury resulting from shoulder dystocia, which is when an infant’s shoulder becomes trapped in the mother’s pelvis during childbirth. In fact, doctors may intentionally break a newborn’s collarbone to treat shoulder dystocia and ensure a safe birth. Most infants with broken collarbones heal quickly with no permanent complications.
7. Perinatal Asphyxia
Perinatal asphyxia is a severe lack of oxygen or blood flow before, during, or after childbirth. Asphyxia can be caused by a variety of complications during the birthing process and affects roughly 15% of all newborns in some capacity. Attentive health care providers will proactively monitor for asphyxia and will treat it quickly if detected, as approximately one in five affected newborns die from complications, and one in four survivors develop some type of brain damage.
8. Caput Succedaneum
Caput succedaneum is the swelling of an infant’s scalp after birth, most often brought on by extreme pressure from the uterus or vaginal wall during a delayed head-first delivery. Delivery assistance tools like forceps or vacuums can raise the chances of a newborn developing caput succedaneum. While it can result in some hair loss, caput succedaneum is harmless and will go away on its own.
9. Intracranial Hemorrhage (Brain Bleed)
Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is bleeding into the fluid-filled areas inside the brain that can occur in newborns. The smaller and more premature an infant is, the higher the risk for IVH is, as their undeveloped blood vessels can be fragile. Brain bleeds can be fatal or lead to lifelong disabilities if not treated quickly.
10. Spinal Cord Injuries
While spinal cord injuries are relatively rare in infants, they can cause serious and potentially permanent complications. A breech or transverse position is likely the most common reason that a spinal cord injury may occur during birth. Early diagnosis and proper care can help reduce complications, but these injuries often require lifelong management.
Common Causes of Birth Injuries
Many factors can raise the risk of birth injuries during childbirth, including:
- Maternal injuries caused by ineffective care can create serious injuries or death to a fetus or infant.
- Labor and delivery complications can lead to severe and permanent injuries to both mother and child. However, about half of all childbirth complications are potentially avoidable with proper planning and care.
- Shoulder dystocia can lead to conditions like a broken collarbone, brachial plexus damage, and Erb’s Palsy.
- Birth assistance tools like forceps and vacuums can put pressure on a newborn and cause minor trauma, though they can often lead to relatively harmless complications like cephalohematoma or caput succedaneum.
When an infant presents with any of these issues, it is necessary to find out the precise cause of the problem and respond with prompt treatment. Our experienced Chicago birth injury lawyers can help you take legal action and get justice for your child’s injuries.
Common Causes of Birth Injuries
Many factors can raise the risk of birth injuries during childbirth, including:
- Maternal injuries caused by ineffective care can create serious injuries or death to a fetus or infant.
- Labor and delivery complications can lead to severe and permanent injuries to both mother and child. However, about half of all childbirth complications are potentially avoidable with proper planning and care.
- Shoulder dystocia can lead to conditions like a broken collarbone, brachial plexus damage, and Erb’s Palsy.
- Birth assistance tools like forceps and vacuums can put pressure on a newborn and cause minor trauma, though they can often lead to relatively harmless complications like cephalohematoma or caput succedaneum.
When an infant presents with any of these issues, it is necessary to find out the precise cause of the problem and respond with prompt treatment. Our experienced Chicago birth injury lawyers can help you take legal action and get justice for your child’s injuries.
How A Chicago Birth Injury Attorney Can Help You
The most common birth injuries can range from harmless and temporary conditions to severe, permanent, and even life-threatening medical problems. While there is no way to fully prevent birth injuries, you deserve justice if a medical provider’s negligence caused your child to suffer serious complications.
When you contact Levin & Perconti, an experienced Chicago medical malpractice lawyer will offer a free, confidential review of your case. If we take your case, we will handle all the legal work, keep you informed, and fight relentlessly for maximum compensation for your child.
Our team includes nationally recognized birth injury attorneys like Dov Apfel, a leading child advocate with over 40 years of experience, and Seth Cardeli, who has presented at educational events and written for legal journals about birth injury law.
We provide personalized, passionate advocacy to every family we represent. Contact us online or call (312) 332-2872 today for a free, no-obligation consultation.
