Atlanta Birth Injury Lawyer
Protecting Your Child’s Rights

Other birth injuries are the result of the doctor or hospital failing to meet the applicable standard of care. For example:

• Failing to identify particular risks or make the correct diagnosis
• Failing to provide adequate supervision during the labor and delivery process
• Failing to adequately monitor the baby’s vital signs during birth
• Allowing labor and delivery to carry on for an unnecessarily long period of time

There is a broad spectrum of factors that can result in birth injuries. Unfortunately, there are often multiple factors involved that can make it difficult to determine whether negligence has occurred. For example, the baby may be unusually large, but an experienced doctor may not have delivered the baby in a way to minimize the risk of injury.

An experienced Atlanta birth injury lawyer can review the facts of your case and determine whether you may have a claim.

Common Birth Injuries in Georgia

In general, birth injuries tend to fall into one of three categories:

• Bone fractures and torn ligaments
• Nerve damage
• Brain damage

Bone fractures, torn ligaments, and nerve damage are typically caused by too much force or pressure while birthing the child. Brain damage, however, is often caused by a lack of oxygen to the baby’s brain. These injuries are commonly diagnosed as the following conditions:

• Cerebral Palsy is the result of damage to the nervous system and affects the brain’s ability to control the motor functions of the rest of the body. Many believe that it can be caused by the use of forceps during birth.
• Erb’s Palsy is the paralysis of the arm or hand that results when the group of nerves is damaged during birth. This can be the result of pulling with too much force during delivery.
• Birth Asphyxia is when the child is deprived of oxygen during birth, resulting in brain damage.
  Cephalohematoma is the collection of blood beneath the cranial bone when blood vessels are broken during delivery and can lead to jaundice and anemia.
• Facial paralysis caused by too much pressure on the child’s face resulting in mild to severe nerve damage.
• Spinal injuries can be caused by the improper use of forceps and can result in paralysis or other neurological problems.
• Caput Succedaneum is the extreme swelling of the soft tissues in the baby’s scalp and is often the result of using a vacuum extractor incorrectly. It can result in jaundice, and if undiagnosed, result in brain damage in some cases.