A study from the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada has found that births performed at home with the help of a midwife are less costly than hospital deliveries and are equally safe for low-risk births. The researchers examined home births by registered midwives in British Columbia over a four-year period. They found that...
An appeals court upheld a $3 million verdict against Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which is a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, for serious birth injuries that were caused by the mother’s ingestion of Topamax while she was pregnant. As reported in PRNewswire, the daughter of Kelly and Brian Anderson was born in 2008 with bilateral cleft...
Doctors and hospitals are using past medical malpractice cases to avoid repeating mistakes that could put patients at risk and give rise to future claims. Shoulder dystocia was found to occur the most frequently among the birth injury lawsuits examined. According to The Wall Street Journal, malpractice insurers and medical specialty groups are analyzing thousands...
Florida hospitals have among the highest cesarean section rates for low-risk pregnancies for first-time mothers in the nation. Consumer Reports analyzed C-section data reported by more than 1200 hospitals across the country. They found C-section rates varied significantly among institutions and within the same communities. Low-risk pregnancies are defined as those in which the baby...
A family was awarded more than $4.8 million in a medical malpractice case arising from a birth injury that occurred over a decade ago. Guerline Cherenfant Jean, Loheirson Jean and their 14-year-old daughter filed the lawsuit in 2004 against a Fort Lauderdale midwife and doctor. Circuit Judge Michele Towbin Singer presided over the five-day trial...
Pregnant women may sometimes require assisted delivery through the use of medical instruments to help the baby’s passage through the birth canal. In such cases, the doctor uses either a vacuum device or forceps to aid childbirth. An assisted delivery may be necessary if the mother is undergoing a lengthy, difficult labor and is too...
The long-term effects of Erb’s palsy depend on the severity of the underlying nerve injury and the use of skilled medical intervention. Some patients will experience no permanent effects, while others face a lifetime of physical limitations. Parents may choose to pursue a birth injury claim in cases where a doctor’s negligence caused Erb’s palsy....
Approximately two to five out of every 1,000 births result in brachial plexus injuries, such as Erb’s Palsy, according to the United Brachial Plexus Network. Erb’s palsy symptoms vary in degree from baby to baby and can rob children of many milestones. As your child gets older, he or she will need answers about the...
When a child is having a seizure, it’s an extremely frightening experience for a parent. It’s important to know what to do should your child have a seizure so you can avoid panic and foster a quick recovery. Possible Causes of Seizure When children have seizures, many parents automatically assume the cause is epilepsy. But...
The Florida Supreme Court in December 2015 decided not to hear a dispute over whether the University of Miami could be held liable for the actions of two physicians it employed through its medical school. The case concerned a baby who sustained a brain injury during delivery in 1998 at Jackson North Maternity Center in...
Child head injuries get lots of attention in the sports arena, but concussions aren’t limited to young athletes and high school football players. Infants and toddlers also are prone to head injury. This is especially true as infants and young toddlers begin to crawl, walk and explore the world around them. Seeing your baby “bonk”...
A new study has found that expectant mothers with asthma may be at a greater risk of delivering prematurely if they are exposed to high levels of traffic-related air pollution just before conception and in early pregnancy. National Institutes of Health researchers noted both short-term and continuous exposure to carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides increased...
When a mother hears that her newborn baby suffered a birth injury, she is often not prepared for this news and doesn’t know much about birth injuries. So, when a mother hears the terms Erb’s palsy and shoulder dystocia used after her baby is born, she needs to understand the connections between the two birth...
If your child has suffered a birth injury due to the negligence of doctors or medical staff, you may be considering taking legal action to pursue fair compensation for medical expenses. Birth injuries can have a lasting impact on your child’s life and will likely require constant medical care. There are a number of important...
A birth injury can be devastating for the parents and have lifelong effects for the child. Many birth injuries lead to disabilities that require extensive care. In some cases, parents may wonder if a medical mistake was the cause of their child’s birth injury, but they are unsure how to proceed. Not every medical condition...
The burden of proof in an Erb’s palsy case dictates that a plaintiff – in this case, the injured child’s parents – must prove his or her case based on evidence presented. Essentially, this means the victim must prove the doctor or hospital was at fault versus the doctor or hospital proving they were not...
Some common birth injuries associated with C-sections include: Facial or body cuts Fractures Spinal cord injuries In addition to these common C-section birth injuries, other risks are present if the anesthesiologist did not administer the drug properly during a C-section delivery procedure. These potential injuries include low blood pressure, blood clots, and internal bleeding. There...
Your legal options when your baby suffers birth injuries in Florida may include filing a medical malpractice lawsuit for the injuries depending on the circumstances of your case. You might be eligible for compensation if medical malpractice is to blame for your newborn’s birthing injuries. Examples of Medical Malpractice There are many things that can lead to...