Most Common Newborn Birth Injuries in New Mexico (2024)

Birth injuries can have a profound impact on a newborn’s early life and overall development. Unfortunately, certain types of injuries are more common during delivery. If your family is expecting or if you believe your doctor mishandled your child’s recent birth, you should understand the most common newborn birth injuries in New Mexico.

What Are the Most Common Types of Newborn Birth Injuries?

Birth injuries impact seven out of every 1,000 children born in the United States. Newborn birth injuries can take various forms during delivery. Here are a few of the more common:

• Brachial Plexus Injury. One preventable form of newborn injury is brachial plexus injury. This type of injury happens when the nerves controlling an arm are damaged, often due to shoulder problems during birth.
• Cephalohematoma. This is another frequent birth injury where blood collects between the newborn’s skull and the tissue covering it, usually caused by some type of trauma occurring during childbirth.
• Caput Succedaneum. One dangerous form of swelling called caput succedaneum can result due to pressure during delivery. Fractures, like a broken collarbone, can also occur from excessive pulling or force.
• Brain bleeds. Also known as intracranial hemorrhages, brain bleeds are serious injuries that can happen from trauma during birth.

In some cases, the injury can be fatal. Other injured newborns may require extensive medical treatments and therapy to recover either fully or partially. When a birth injury results from negligence on the part of a nurse or doctor, the parents of the injured newborn have the option of seeking financial compensation through the courts or direct negotiations with the help of a personal injury lawyer.

Common Causes of Newborn Birth Injuries

Birthing is a complicated process, and there are many ways that the final delivery of a newborn can lead to injuries. Here are a few of the common causes:

• Negligence on the part of a doctor or nurse. In some cases, medical professionals may not be paying close enough attention to their jobs. In other cases, fatigue can lead to preventable errors.
• Shoulder dystocia, where the baby’s shoulder gets stuck during birth, can lead to nerve damage.
• Medical devices during difficult deliveries can cause blood collection or head swelling.
• Long or difficult labor increases the risk of injuries like brain bleeds or fractures.
• Fetal positioning, such as a breech, can also lead to injuries.
• Unnecessary pulling or manipulation of the baby during delivery is another risk factor.

Maternal issues, like a mother’s pelvic shape and fetal distress during labor, can further contribute to these injuries. Some of these types of injuries can be prevented with proper planning. An experienced and attentive medical doctor should be able to address any birth delivery complications without harming the newborn, although preventable injuries can still occur.

How Legal Representation Can Help

If your newborn was injured during birth, a lawyer can help by reviewing medical records to see if the injury resulted from medical mistakes. The lawyer can consult with medical professionals to learn whether the doctor who oversaw the childbirth followed standard and established practices.

An attorney can help file claims and negotiate with insurance companies to obtain the compensation needed for medical costs and long-term care. If a fair settlement isn’t offered, the lawyer may take the case to court.

Having a lawyer ensures you get the support you need and helps hold those responsible accountable for the injury. Regardless of where the compensation ultimately comes from, your lawyer can be a strong advocate for your rights and interests.

FAQs

Which Is the Most Common Type of Birth Injury in the Term Newborn?

The most common type of birth injury in term newborns is brachial plexus injury, also known as Erb’s palsy. This occurs when the nerves controlling the arm are damaged during delivery, often due to shoulder dystocia or strenuous pulling on the baby’s head during childbirth. This type of injury can provide grounds for a medical malpractice claim if there is evidence of negligence.

What Constitutes Medical Malpractice Involving Birth Injuries?

Not every birth injury at a hospital constitutes medical malpractice. To qualify for a medical malpractice claim, your attorney will need to show that you suffered harm due to the actions of a medical professional. Other factors that are typically present in a medical malpractice claim include a doctor’s deviation from established standards of care or clear acts of misconduct.

What Can a Birth Injury Claim Cover?

A birth injury claim can cover the medical expenses incurred from the treatment that caused the accident and subsequent treatments that are needed to address the injury to the newborn.

A birth injury claim can also compensate for long-term care costs, including physical therapy and special educational services. Compensation may cover any loss of income for parents who must take time off work to care for their child’s needs.

What Is the Most Common Birth Injury to the Mother?

The most common birth injury to the mother is perineal tear. In severe cases, it can lead to long-term complications and require surgical repair. Maternal blood loss can occur due to postpartum hemorrhage, where excessive bleeding happens after delivery, often requiring medical intervention to manage and restore blood volume. Modern medicine has come a long way in terms of providing safe delivery, but negligence on the part of a doctor or nurse can still lead to a serious injury.

Schedule Your Newborn Injury Consultation Today

The birth of a child should be a joyous time for parents and extended family. When a doctor’s negligence leads to a preventable injury to the newborn, many emotional, mental, and financial costs are incurred by the newborn’s parents. One source of compensation could come from the doctor or the hospital involved in the delivery.

The Branch Law Firm understands how devastating news of a newborn injury can be. We’ve worked with clients who went through those difficult moments. While compensation can’t take away the grief and stress that can follow a newborn injury, it can help reduce the financial hardship you are facing due to the absence of care.

Our legal team can seek compensation for your family while you focus on finding the right treatment for your newborn. To schedule your consultation, contact the Branch Law Firm today.