Shoulder dystocia occurs when a baby’s shoulder becomes lodged behind the mother’s pubic bone during delivery. It’s sudden, it’s serious, and it requires immediate, skilled intervention. Providers have specific protocols for exactly this situation. When those protocols are followed correctly, many cases resolve without lasting harm.
The injuries that result from mismanaged shoulder dystocia range from temporary nerve damage to permanent disability. Some are visible right away. Others take weeks or months to fully reveal themselves. And in the most severe cases, the harm extends to the mother as well.
Injuries to the Baby
The baby bears the greatest physical risk when shoulder dystocia is handled incorrectly. Excessive traction, meaning pulling too hard or at the wrong angle during delivery, is one of the most common causes of injury in these situations.
Injuries that can result include:
- Brachial plexus injuries, including Erb’s palsy and Klumpke’s palsy, which affect the nerves controlling arm and hand movement
- Clavicle fractures, which can occur when improper force is applied during delivery
- Humerus fractures, particularly in more severe cases involving significant traction
- Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, a form of brain damage caused by oxygen deprivation when the delivery is prolonged
- Facial nerve damage, which can affect movement and expression on one side of the face
- Fetal distress leading to stillbirth, in the most tragic outcomes where oxygen deprivation is severe and intervention is delayed
Brachial plexus injuries are among the most common and most significant. Some children recover with physical therapy over time. Others may face permanent limitations in arm function that affect them throughout their lives.
Needle & Ellenberg, P.A. has worked with Florida families whose children sustained serious birth injuries due to mismanaged deliveries, helping them understand their legal rights and pursue the compensation they deserve.
Injuries to the Mother
The focus in shoulder dystocia cases understandably falls on the baby. But mothers can sustain serious injuries as well, particularly when the complication is prolonged or handled with excessive force.
Maternal injuries can include severe perineal tearing, postpartum hemorrhage, uterine rupture in serious cases, and long-term pelvic floor damage. These aren’t minor complications. They can affect a mother’s physical health for years after delivery.
When the Injury Is the Result of Negligence
Not every shoulder dystocia case that results in injury is the product of negligence. This is a genuine emergency, and even well-managed cases can sometimes lead to complications. The legal question is whether the provider followed accepted protocols and responded appropriately to the situation.
Accepted management techniques for shoulder dystocia include specific maneuvers like the McRoberts maneuver and suprapubic pressure, and providers are expected to know and apply them correctly. Failure to attempt appropriate maneuvers, applying excessive traction, or delaying intervention are all potential indicators that the standard of care wasn’t met.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists publishes clinical guidelines on managing shoulder dystocia, and those guidelines play a central role in evaluating whether a provider’s actions were appropriate.
Working with Orlando shoulder dystocia malpractice lawyers means having medical and legal professionals review exactly what happened during your delivery and whether the care your family received fell short of what it should have been.
Your Family Deserves Answers
If your child was injured during delivery and you’re not sure whether it was preventable, that question is worth pursuing. Birth injuries carry long-term physical, emotional, and financial consequences that families shouldn’t have to absorb alone when negligence played a role.
The Orlando shoulder dystocia malpractice lawyers at Needle & Ellenberg, P.A. can review the details of your delivery, help you understand what the medical records show, and give you an honest assessment of whether you have a viable legal claim.