The term birth injury is used as a catch-all for any injury or damage done to a child during the birthing process. Birth injuries are quite common and happen every day, these everyday injuries are often caused by the powerful contractions of the mother during the process or injuries caused by tools used by the physician to ease the process. Most birth injuries are insignificant and don’t amount to much more than a bruise or two, however, there are injuries which are so severe they will have long lasting implications. For these injuries, it is wise to consult with a Birth Injury Attorney In Houston.
A birth injury can be caused by a number of different things. The two primary causes are a large baby or a petite mother. Either of these will make the delivery more difficult, the more the delivery the better the chance there will be an injury during the birthing process. Babies are not always in the correct position and may be born breach, a delivery of this nature may call for the use of forceps or another tool to aid the delivery, these aids may cause injury. At times, a labor can go on for hours and the contractions of the mother may be the cause of injury to her infant.
A serious birth injury that could have been avoided is facial paralysis. This is usually caused by the improper use of forceps during delivery; the pressure exerted is too great. In this case, a Birth Injury Attorney In Houston may recommend that the doctor be sued for malpractice. Symptoms of facial paralysis will be the inability to close one eye or one side of the face will have limited movement. Surgery may or may not improve the condition, but being as the physician was at fault, any future operations or long term disability must be borne by him and his insurance.
Cerebral palsy is a serious injury that happens at birth. This injury may not become apparent until later. The condition is caused by oxygen starvation at birth; usually the physician is slow at taking the infant from the birth canal and inducing free breathing. A birth injury lawyer in Houston should be called in on a case such as this as the long term affects are learning disability and poor motor skills.
Although most birth injuries are injuries to soft tissue that heal quickly and have no detrimental after effects, they are discerning to the new parent. Even bone fractures are quite common as the infants bones are far from being developed and are very fragile. Usually fractures are caused by low birth weight, premature delivery or an abnormal birth position. These minor issues are not cause for concern, but serious negligence on the part of the doctor is, and a birth injury lawyer in Houston should be consulted.
If there was an issue with negligence during the birth of your child, you may need to consult with a birth injury lawyer in Houston. Harley Hampton, PC has been practicing law for many years and they have helped many clients recover compensation for the injuries their child suffered during birth.
