Birth Injuries

Chicago Birth Injury Lawyers

Cerebral Palsy • Dystocia • Infant Death

When a baby dies or suffers injury during childbirth, the shock is felt throughout the family and the profound loss lasts forever. The medical malpractice attorneys of McGowan & Hull can investigate whether the injury was caused by error, negligence, or flawed policy of the medical staff and the hospital.

Our Chicago birth injury lawyers will secure and review the medical records, and have them examined by board-certified medical experts to determine if the family has grounds for a viable malpractice claim. We represent clients in Cook County, Kane County and throughout Illinois in all types of medical malpractice claims, including failure to diagnose and surgical errors.

Childbirth Injuries and Causes of Death

McGowan & Hull has obtained substantial compensation for families in a broad range of birth injury and infant fatality claims:

• Cerebral Palsy and Brain Injury
  Hypoxic injury occurs when the fetus does not get enough oxygen during pregnancy, labor or birth. This may occur if the umbilical cord is trapped or compressed, as with an infant stuck in the birth canal. The hypoxia causes severe trauma to the fetus and the mother, and if a Caesarean surgery (C-section) is delayed may result in brain damage to the baby.
  
  Failure to diagnose hypoxia or inadequate fetal monitoring prior to birth can also lead to brain damage to the infant. Cerebral palsy is the most common form, permanently affecting the child’s motor skills and ability to control muscles, requiring years of physical therapy and medical care. The brain injury can also cause diminish mental capacity of the baby, resulting in lifelong developmental disabilities.

• Shoulder Dystocia, Brachial Plexus and Erb’s Palsy
  Some birth injuries occur during delivery, when the physician uses improper force or fails to foresee complications necessitating a C-section.
  
  Shoulder dystocia occurs when the baby’s shoulder gets caught behind the pubic bone in the birth canal. A skilled obstetrician can usually dislodge the shoulder without harming the infant. Undue force can result in tearing or severing of nerves in the arm. A brachial plexus injury occurs when the baby’s neck becomes stretched during delivery, damaging the network of nerves at the base of the neck that serve the arms and hands. Either of these injuries can result in a serious form of nerve damage known as Erb’s palsy. The damage ranges from reduced motion in that arm or inability to control the shoulder and elbow to lifelong paralysis of the entire limb. With years of extensive physical therapy, the baby may regain some or all use of the limb. Recovery depends on the extent of the injury at birth.

• Preeclampsia Injuries
  A condition during pregnancy known as preeclampsia can lead to severe injury or death for both the fetus and the mother. Failure to diagnose preeclampsia symptoms (high blood pressure, protein in the urine) frequently results in low birth weight or premature birth (and associated health issues for the baby) or fetal death. It also can lead to seizures in the mother.

If you believe you have an obstetric malpractice claim, contact the Chicago birth injury attorneys of McGowan & Hull. Cerebral palsy and other injuries relating to prenatal care and delivery may not show up for months or even two years after birth. If you suspect your baby was injured, consult an attorney, who can document and follow the child’s development in case legal action is required later.