As we discussed in our previous blog post, birth injuries are one of the top reasons for medical malpractice lawsuits. There are several different types of birth injuries that can occur. One of these injuries occurs when forceps are used during the course of the baby’s delivery.
There are several different things that can occur when a practitioner has to use forceps to help deliver a baby. Some of the risks can affect the baby and others can affect the mother.
The risks to a baby when forceps are used include seizures, intracranial bleeding, skull fractures, facial injuries, facial palsy and eye trauma. While all of these are rarely associated with forceps deliveries, parents who have a baby that was delivered with forceps should be watchful for these.
The risks to the mother during a delivery with forceps include perineum pain after the delivery, difficulty urinating, difficulty controlling bowel movements and uterine rupture. In some cases, weakening of the pelvic structures, such as muscles and ligaments, can occur. That weakening can cause the pelvic organs to fall lower into the pelvis, which is a condition called pelvic organ prolapse.
All of these risks can have a significant impact on the life of the baby or the mother. A mother who was injured during childbirth and the parents of babies who suffer a birth injury might choose to seek compensation for the injuries. Learning how to do so in Florida can require the help of a Miami-Dade medical malpractice attorney. Once the options are explained, the mother or the parents can decide how to move forward with a case.
Source: Mayo Clinic, “Forceps Delivery,” accessed Nov. 24, 2015