Birth injuries come in many forms, but they all have one thing in common: they’re every parent’s worst nightmare. In many cases, birth injuries are entirely preventable and can be attributed to the actions—or inactions—of healthcare providers.

Let’s look at three of the most common and damaging birth injuries that parents encounter before, during, or after the birth of their children.

Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is a collection of disorders impacting a person’s ability to move, keep their balance, and maintain their posture. It is the most common childhood motor disability.

Common symptoms can be mild to severe and include:

  • Poor coordination
  • Stiff or weak muscles
  • Tremors
  • Seizures
  • Vision impairment
  • Hearing impairment
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Difficulty swallowing

In some cases, these conditions can last throughout a victim’s life and lead to severe impairment.

Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)

HIE, also known as birth asphyxia, is caused by oxygen deprivation during delivery and is the leading cause of death and severe impairments among infants.

This condition can lead to many complications and disabilities, including:

  • Epilepsy
  • Motor impairment
  • Developmental delays
  • Cognitive impairment
  • Neurodevelopmental delays

These impairments and delays can have serious repercussions for babies that might include a lifetime of disabilities.

Erb’s Palsy

Erb’s palsy refers to damage to the brachial plexus nerves affecting movement and rotation of the upper, and sometimes the lower, arm. The brachial plexus is a hub of nerves in the shoulder that sends movement and sensory signals from the spinal cord to the arms and hands.

Erb’s palsy can happen following a C-section delivery or birth complications. Though many Erb’s palsy conditions improve within a few months following the injury, some infants might suffer debilitating effects for months or even years.

Surgical interventions can help if there is no recovery within three to five months after the injury occurs. However, for infants who either had unsuccessful surgery or no surgery at all, lasting effects could include disability.

These Conditions Are Often Preventable

Many birth injuries, including the ones listed above, are preventable if medical professionals identify and address complications when they arise before, during, and after birth.

Traumatic events during birth, such as oxygen deprivation, brain bleeds, delayed delivery, or unnecessary C-sections, are sometimes the result of medical professionals’ mistakes. Sadly, those mistakes can cause infants and their families to experience years of financial, physical, and emotional challenges.

If your child has suffered one of these injuries and you suspect medical malpractice, you have every right to explore your legal options for compensation. Though no amount of money can heal a child or right a healthcare provider’s wrongs, compensation can make a significant difference and give families the opportunity to meet the many challenges they’ll face.

If You Need Legal Help, Fieger Law Is Ready to Take Your Call

The birth injury lawyers at Fieger Law have years of experience with these cases. Award-winning attorney Geoffrey Fieger has won multi-million-dollar birth trauma verdicts throughout the U.S.

Our team has been helping birth injury victims since 1983. If you want to know what went wrong during your child’s birth, trust us when we say that we will find out what happened to your baby. Then, we’ll do everything in our power to ensure your family is compensated for the tragedy you’ve endured.

Contact our team today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.