In the United States, approximately 32 percent of all babies born each year are delivered by cesarean section. Considered a significant abdominal surgery, cesarean sections—also known as C-sections—are performed for a number of reasons, including maternal or fetal health problems.
An emergency procedure may be necessary in cases where:
- A mother is suffering from placental problems, uterine ruptures, or preeclampsia.
- A fetus is in the breech position or experiences a drop in heart rate.
Delaying an emergency C-section can be dangerous or even deadly for both the mother and the fetus. Common causes of delayed C-sections include:
- Nurses who fail to monitor mothers and fetuses for signs of distress
- Nurses who don’t communicate concerns about the mother or fetus to the doctor
- Doctors who fail to act on reasonable concerns about the mother or fetus’ condition
- Hospitals without operating rooms or surgical staff available to perform emergency C-sections
When an emergency C-section is delayed, serious birth injuries can result. These infants may suffer from conditions such as:
- Cerebral palsy
- Erb’s palsy
- Developmental delays
- Learning disabilities
- Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL)
- Seizure disorders
- Other birth injuries
- Death
Did Your Infant Suffer a Birth Injury Due to a Delayed C-Section?
Parents of infants who sustained a medical malpractice-related birth injury caused by a delayed cesarean section procedure may be entitled to compensation for their child’s injuries, as well as other losses. Because birth injury cases often require plaintiffs to go head-to-head with high-powered hospital counsel, it’s important they be represented by experienced birth injury attorneys.
Did your child sustain a preventable birth injury? The knowledgeable birth injury attorneys with the Accident and Injury Law Group can help you bring a lawsuit against the nurse, doctor, or hospital responsible for the harm to your child, and seek much-needed compensation for damages. Contact us today to schedule an appointment for a free, no-obligation initial analysis of your delayed C-section birth injury case.