Michigan Cephalopelvic Disproportion (CPD)Birth Injury Lawyers

CPD refers to a mismatch between the size of the baby and the size of the mother’s pelvis. This can happen when:

• The baby is unusually large (fetal macrosomia)
• The baby’s head is positioned improperly
• The mother’s pelvis is too small or shaped in a way that restricts the birth canal
• Labor fails to progress despite adequate contractions

CPD is often identified during pregnancy or early in labor. When healthcare providers misjudge the risks or fail to intervene, the baby may become stuck in the birth canal, dramatically increasing the risk of traumatic birth injuries.

Doctors and labor nurses must watch for warning signs that labor is not progressing safely. CPD may be suspected when:

• The cervix doesn’t dilate despite strong contractions
• The baby fails to move down the birth canal
• Labor stalls for long periods
• The mother experiences unusually intense pain or exhaustion
• Fetal distress appears on monitoring strips

Common maternal and fetal risk factors include:

• Gestational diabetes
• A history of delivering large babies
• Past pelvic fractures
• Breech or other abnormal fetal positions
• Post-term pregnancies
• A narrow or irregular pelvic shape

When these risk factors are ignored, medical staff may push for prolonged labor or high-risk vaginal delivery instead of a timely C-section, leading to preventable harm.

Unmanaged CPD can result in severe injuries for both mother and child. Potential injuries to the baby include:

• Brachial plexus injuries
• Shoulder dystocia complications
• Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
• Cerebral palsy from oxygen deprivation
• Fractured clavicle or humerus
• Facial nerve damage
• Developmental delays

Potential injuries to the mother can include:

• Uterine rupture
• Severe tearing or lacerations
• Postpartum hemorrhage
• Pelvic floor injuries
• Infection from prolonged labor

Many of these injuries occur when medical teams attempt repeated forceful delivery techniques, use vacuum extraction or forceps improperly, or delay a necessary C-section.

Proper management of CPD is based on established medical guidelines and patient safety standards. Providers should:

Before or Early in Labor

• Review maternal history and pregnancy risk factors
• Conduct routine ultrasounds to estimate fetal size
• Discuss delivery options, including early C-section, if needed

During Labor

• Monitor fetal heart rate continuously
• Watch closely for failure to progress
• Stop labor-augmenting medications when distress appears
• Avoid excessive use of vacuum extractors or forceps
• Order a C-section when the baby can’t descend safely

Delaying surgical intervention is one of the most common forms of medical negligence associated with CPD cases.

Medical negligence may occur when a healthcare provider:

• Fails to recognize stalled labor
• Misreads or ignores fetal monitoring strips
• Uses excessive traction during delivery
• Delays calling for an obstetrician
• Attempts multiple risky maneuvers instead of moving to surgery
• Underestimates the baby’s size
• Misjudges the mother’s pelvic capacity

These errors can escalate quickly. What begins as a slow labor can lead to loss of oxygen, nerve damage, or emergency surgery within minutes. When a doctor fails to act, the results can alter a child’s entire life.

Most CPD-related care takes place in Detroit’s major labor and delivery centers, including:

• Henry Ford Hospital
• DMC Detroit Receiving Hospital
• Corewell Health Dearborn Hospital
• DMC Hutzel Women’s Hospital

Each facility has different staffing levels, equipment, and labor-management practices. When mistakes happen, medical records from these hospitals, including fetal monitoring strips, labor progress notes, and operating room reports, are crucial evidence.

Fieger Law’s personal injury attorneys can collect this evidence on your behalf, helping to strengthen your potential claim. Contact us today for a free case review.

Michigan has specific laws that affect birth injury claims involving CPD.

Statute of Limitations for Birth Injuries

Parents typically have two years from the date of malpractice to file a claim, or up to the child’s tenth birthday in cases involving injuries to the baby. Because CPD injuries often involve long-term medical care, families should consult an attorney as soon as possible to ensure all deadlines are met.

Michigan’s “Notice of Intent” Requirement

Before filing a malpractice lawsuit, Michigan requires a written Notice of Intent to be sent to the healthcare providers involved not less than 182 days before action is taken. This step must be completed before a formal lawsuit begins.

Expert Testimony Requirements

Michigan law requires testimony from qualified medical experts to establish that a provider failed to meet the standard of care. Birth injury cases often require multiple experts, including obstetricians, neonatologists, and maternal-fetal medicine specialists.

Caring for a child injured during a CPD-related birth can be extremely expensive. Families may face:

• NICU expenses
• Surgeries
• Physical, occupational, and speech therapy
• Mobility equipment
• Medication
• Home modifications
• Lifelong developmental support

Compensation in these cases often includes both economic damages (like medical bills and future care needs) and non-economic damages (pain and emotional distress).

If you believe errors during labor and delivery caused your child’s injuries, taking the following steps can help protect your rights:

1. Request copies of all medical records, including fetal monitoring strips.
2. Document your child’s symptoms, treatments, and developmental concerns.
3. Keep discharge papers, hospital bills, and insurance correspondence.
4. Seek a second medical opinion if needed.
5. Contact an attorney experienced in birth injury cases as soon as possible.

Birth injury cases require extensive investigation and expert review, and the sooner a legal team begins gathering evidence, the stronger your claim will be.

Cephalopelvic disproportion cases are medically complex and often aggressively defended by hospitals. Families need a law firm with the resources, tenacity, and experience to uncover what went wrong. Our attorneys have handled some of the state’s most difficult birth trauma cases.

We work with leading obstetricians, neonatologists, and specialists to identify errors in fetal monitoring, labor progression, and delivery techniques. We can obtain internal hospital records, staffing logs, surgical notes, and witness testimony to build the strongest case possible.

From Midtown to the Grosse Pointe border, families throughout the region rely on Detroit hospitals for safe deliveries. When errors occur, we stand by parents every step of the way.

If you or your child suffered injuries during labor because medical professionals failed to recognize or treat CPD, your family deserves answers.

Contact us today for a free consultation about your case. Our team is here to help you understand what went wrong and guide you through your legal options.