Birth Injuries Caused by Oxygen Deficiency

Birth Injuries Caused by Lack of Oxygen During Labor and Delivery

When you and your infant are going through the childbirth process, there can be conditions that cause your baby to be deprived of oxygen during the birth. If this occurs, it can cause serious medical conditions such as:

• Cerebral palsy
• Erb's palsy
• Brain damage
• Mental retardation

It is the responsibility of medical personnel monitoring your vital signs and those of your baby to ensure that all is going well throughout the arduous labor and delivery process. If they fail to act to correct any distress of the baby, they could be held negligent if an injury was suffered by your child as a result.

If you find yourself facing this devastating circumstance, McGuire Law, PLC understands that you are likely emotionally traumatized by this situation. Furthermore, your child is likely dealing with serious physical limitations, and you are probably dealing with a great amount of financial hardship due to your subsequent medical costs. To ensure you are protected in your options for legal recourse, consult with an experienced Iowa medical malpractice attorney to determine what your next step should be.

Possible Causes of Oxygen Deficiency

When a woman is in labor, she is normally hooked up to monitors that check not only her vital signs, but those of the fetus as well. Hospital personnel are required to check these closely and at regular intervals, as a medical situation can change suddenly. Factors such as an increase in heart rate, decrease in heart rate and oxygen levels are all signs that need to carefully observed. All of these are indicators of any action that may need to be taken quickly to avoid a possible disaster.

When a birth is difficult and is going on too long, the baby can become distressed and lack oxygen. Decisions to end the labor and perform a cesarean section are ones that we expect medical professionals to make as needed. Whenever any of these actions are not performed and a birth injury occurs as a result, we must hold the negligent parties accountable for their actions.

Contact our birth injury lawyer in Iowa at McGuire Law, PLC for high-quality legal representation!