Michigan Umbilical Cord Problems Lawyer

If your child suffered a serious birth injury, you may be wondering whether something went wrong with the umbilical cord and whether anyone could have prevented it. Those are the right questions to ask. The umbilical cord is your baby’s lifeline before birth, and when doctors and nurses fail to spot or respond to a cord problem in time, the consequences can last a lifetime.

Fieger Law is a Michigan birth injury firm with a 75-year history and a national reputation for taking on hospitals that hurt babies. An experienced umbilical cord problems lawyer at our Southfield office can review your child’s medical records, work with leading obstetrical experts, and tell you whether what happened to your family was preventable.

How the Umbilical Cord Works and What Happens When It Fails

The umbilical cord carries oxygen and nutrients from the placenta to your baby through one vein and two arteries, all cushioned by a protective gel called Wharton’s jelly. When that flow is interrupted, the baby’s brain is the first organ to suffer. Even a few minutes of restricted oxygen can cause permanent damage.

The two most serious outcomes Fieger Law sees in umbilical cord cases are hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and cerebral palsy. Both are caused by oxygen deprivation at birth, and both can require a lifetime of medical care, therapy, and equipment.

Doctors and labor and delivery teams are trained to anticipate cord problems. They have ultrasound, fetal heart rate monitors, and decades of medical research to guide them. When they miss the signs, ignore the data, or delay action, that’s where a birth injury case begins. If you suspect that’s what happened in your delivery room, call Fieger Law to find out whether your child’s injury was preventable.

Common Umbilical Cord Problems That Cause Birth Injuries

Some cord complications develop during pregnancy. Others appear suddenly during labor. Either way, the medical team is responsible for catching them and acting fast. The most common cord problems we see in Michigan birth injury cases include:

Nuchal Cord: The umbilical cord wraps around the baby’s neck. This happens in 20 to 30 percent of pregnancies, and most cases resolve naturally. A tight or persistent nuchal cord, though, can cut off blood flow and require an emergency cesarean delivery.
Umbilical Cord Prolapse: The cord slips through the cervix ahead of the baby and gets compressed as the baby descends. This is an obstetrical emergency. Every minute of delay raises the risk of brain damage.
Umbilical Cord Compression: Pressure on the cord during labor reduces blood and oxygen reaching the baby. It shows up on the fetal heart monitor as variable decelerations and signs of fetal distress.
True Knots: Real knots in the cord that tighten as the baby moves. A tight knot can shut off the oxygen supply and cause severe brain injury.
Short or Long Cord: A cord under 14 inches raises the risk of placental abruption and tearing. A cord over 31.5 inches raises the risk of prolapse, knots, and a nuchal cord.
Vasa Previa: Exposed fetal blood vessels run across the mother’s cervix outside the protection of the cord. When the membranes rupture, those vessels can tear, causing rapid blood loss to the baby.
Marginal or Velamentous Cord Insertion: The cord attaches at the edge of the placenta or outside it entirely. This restricts nutrients to the baby and raises the risk of low birth weight and stillbirth.
Umbilical Cord Infections: Funisitis and chorioamnionitis are infections that can spread to the cord and disrupt the baby’s oxygen and nutrient supply. They often follow other untreated maternal infections.

Most of these problems are detectable on prenatal ultrasound or on fetal heart rate strips during labor. When they go undetected, the question is almost always why. Fieger Law has the medical experts and the trial record to find out. Talk to us today, and we can help you understand your options.

Birth Injuries Caused by Umbilical Cord Problems

When the umbilical cord fails, the damage to the baby is rarely minor. The injuries we focus on at Fieger Law are the ones that change a child’s entire life.

Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)

HIE is brain damage caused by a lack of oxygen and blood flow at birth. When the cord is compressed, prolapsed, or knotted, the baby’s brain can be starved of oxygen for minutes or longer. The result is a brain injury that may leave the child with seizures, developmental delays, vision and hearing problems, and lifelong impairments. HIE is the most common form of brain damage at birth, and it is the leading cause of cerebral palsy in young children.

Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is a permanent movement and posture disorder caused by injury to the developing brain. When HIE from a cord complication is the trigger, the child’s parents often spend years searching for answers. Many never get them without an attorney involved. Fieger Law has built cases for families dealing with cerebral palsy for decades and knows what evidence to gather and which medical experts to call.

Caring for a child with HIE or cerebral palsy can run into the millions of dollars over a lifetime. If the injury was preventable, those costs should not fall on your family. Get in touch for a free case review.

When Umbilical Cord Problems Become Medical Malpractice

Not every umbilical cord complication is malpractice. Some happen despite a medical team doing everything right. The legal question is whether your doctors and nurses met the standard of care a reasonably competent provider would have met in the same situation.

In Michigan birth injury cases, malpractice usually involves one of these failures:

Missed Prenatal Diagnosis: Failure to identify a known risk like vasa previa, velamentous cord insertion, or a short or long cord on prenatal ultrasounds.
Misreading Fetal Heart Rate Strips: Failure to recognize variable decelerations, late decelerations, or bradycardia that indicate cord compression and fetal distress.
Delayed Cesarean Delivery: Knowing the baby is in distress and waiting too long to act. Every minute counts.
Improper Use of Forceps or Vacuum Extractors: Pulling on a baby with a nuchal cord or compressed cord when an emergency cesarean was the safer option.
Failure to Treat Maternal Infections: Letting chorioamnionitis or other infections go untreated until they reach the cord and harm the baby.

Obstetricians, labor and delivery nurses, midwives, anesthesiologists, and the hospitals that employ them can all be held accountable when their negligence harms a baby. Michigan medical malpractice cases require an Affidavit of Merit from a qualified medical professional before a lawsuit can move forward. Fieger Law has spent decades working with leading obstetrical and neonatal experts who can provide that affidavit and stand behind it at trial.

If you believe your child’s injury was the result of medical negligence, contact us for a free consultation.

Fetal Heart Rate Monitoring and Umbilical Cord Distress

Electronic fetal heart rate monitoring is the primary tool labor and delivery teams use to detect umbilical cord complications in real time. Two monitors are typically strapped to the mother during labor: one tracks her contractions, the other tracks the baby’s heart rate in response.

Certain patterns on the strip are warning signs. Variable decelerations, where the baby’s heart rate suddenly drops and recovers, often indicate cord compression. Late decelerations indicate placental insufficiency and oxygen deprivation. Bradycardia, a sustained low heart rate, is a red flag for serious fetal distress.

When these patterns appear, the medical team is supposed to act. They might reposition the mother, give oxygen, or move quickly to an emergency cesarean. Missing the signs, misreading the strip, or hesitating to act are some of the most common forms of birth injury malpractice we investigate.

Fetal heart rate strips are time-stamped, preserved, and admissible in court. They are often the single most important piece of evidence in an umbilical cord lawsuit. Fieger Law’s legal team and outside obstetrical experts review these strips, frame by frame, to identify the moment the standard of care was breached. Reach out to discuss your case.

How an Experienced Michigan Birth Injury Lawyer Can Help

Fieger Law has spent more than 75 years fighting for Michigan families. Our firm’s track record in birth injury and medical malpractice cases includes a $144.5 million birth trauma verdict that was upheld on appeal, a $135 million malpractice verdict against the Detroit Medical Center, a $21 million verdict against Oakwood Hospital, and a $20 million birth trauma verdict that was the highest in Michigan in 2014. Those numbers don’t guarantee any outcome in your case. What they show is that Fieger Law has the experience, the resources, and the willingness to take birth injury cases all the way to trial when that’s what it takes.

When you bring your case to us, our team can:

Review the Medical Records: Every prenatal visit, every test result, and every minute of the labor and delivery record.
Engage Independent Experts: Board-certified obstetricians, neonatologists, and pediatric neurologists who can evaluate the care your family received.
Build the Case Under Michigan Law: Including the Affidavit of Merit and the procedural requirements of a Michigan medical malpractice claim.
Take the Case to Trial: If a fair settlement isn’t offered, Fieger Law has tried more high-stakes cases than almost any firm in the country.

We work on a contingency fee basis. You don’t pay us anything unless we get money for you. Get in touch for a free consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Umbilical Cord Problems Cause Permanent Brain Damage?

Yes. When the umbilical cord is compressed, prolapsed, or knotted, the baby’s brain can be deprived of oxygen, leading to hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and cerebral palsy. Both are permanent conditions. If you believe a cord problem caused your child’s brain damage, contact us for a free case review.

What Is the Difference Between a Natural Cord Complication and Medical Negligence?

A natural complication is one that occurs despite a medical team meeting the standard of care. Negligence is when doctors or nurses miss warning signs, misread fetal heart strips, delay an emergency cesarean, or fail to act on a known risk. The line between the two is often only clear after an experienced birth injury attorney and medical experts review the records.

What Evidence Is Needed to Prove a Michigan Birth Injury Case?

The most important evidence in cord-related cases is the medical record, especially fetal heart rate strips, prenatal ultrasounds, and the labor and delivery notes. Michigan law also requires an Affidavit of Merit from a qualified medical professional before a lawsuit can be filed. Fieger Law works with leading obstetrical experts to gather and review this evidence.

Can Fetal Heart Rate Monitoring Errors Be the Basis for a Lawsuit?

Yes. Misreading or ignoring fetal heart rate strips is one of the most common forms of birth injury malpractice. If the strip showed signs of cord compression or fetal distress and the medical team failed to respond, that failure can support a malpractice claim. Fieger Law has handled many cases that turned on what the heart rate monitor showed.

Who Can Be Held Responsible When a Baby Is Harmed by an Umbilical Cord Problem?

Obstetricians, labor and delivery nurses, midwives, anesthesiologists, and the hospitals or medical groups that employ them can all be held accountable. Hospital liability often applies under the legal doctrine of vicarious liability when the negligent provider was a hospital employee. Call Fieger Law to find out who may be responsible in your case.

What Are the Long-Term Effects of HIE or Cerebral Palsy Caused by Cord Problems?

Children with HIE or cerebral palsy may face lifelong challenges, including seizures, motor and developmental delays, vision and hearing impairments, learning disabilities, and the need for ongoing therapy, equipment, and care. Lifetime care costs often run into the millions of dollars. A successful malpractice claim can help cover those costs.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire Fieger Law for a Birth Injury Case?

Nothing upfront. Fieger Law works on a contingency fee basis, which means you don’t pay us anything unless we get money for you. The initial consultation is also free. Reach out to speak with our team.

What Should I Do If I Think My Baby Was Injured by a Missed Umbilical Cord Problem in Michigan?

Gather every medical record you can, including prenatal visits, ultrasounds, the labor and delivery record, and any NICU records. Then call an experienced Michigan birth injury attorney as soon as possible. Fieger Law can review what happened, bring in medical experts, and tell you whether you have a case.

Talk to a Michigan Umbilical Cord Problems Lawyer Today.

Birth injuries from umbilical cord problems are some of the most devastating cases we see, because so many of them were preventable. If you suspect that a doctor or nurse missed a warning sign in your delivery room, you deserve answers. You also deserve a firm with the experience and resources to get them.

Fieger Law has been fighting for Michigan families since 1950. Our office is at 19390 W 10 Mile Rd in Southfield, and our birth injury team can review your child’s records and tell you whether the injury was preventable. There’s no cost to call and no fee unless we get money for you.