{"id":1325,"date":"2024-05-11T16:31:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-11T16:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cochranfirm.com\/philadelphia\/?p=1325"},"modified":"2025-09-24T01:49:32","modified_gmt":"2025-09-24T01:49:32","slug":"medical-malpractice-errors-delivery-room","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cochranfirm.com\/philadelphia\/medical-malpractice-errors-delivery-room\/","title":{"rendered":"Common Medical Malpractice Errors That Occur in the Delivery Room"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>According to the March of Dimes Perinatal Data Center, there were over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marchofdimes.org\/peristats\/data?reg=42&amp;top=2&amp;stop=10&amp;lev=1&amp;slev=4&amp;obj=3&amp;sreg=42\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">130,000 live births<\/a> in the state of Pennsylvania in 2022. Most births in our state are completed safely; however, in a substantial minority of cases, medical negligence harms the mother, the baby, or both.<\/p>\n<p>Lack of focus and care in the birthing room can result in <a href=\"https:\/\/cochranfirmphiladelphia.com\/personal-injury-lawyers\/\">serious injuries<\/a>. In this post, we\u2019ll look at some of the most common accidents that occur during hospital childbirths, and the options you have if you find yourself in a situation like this.<\/p>\n<h2>Delayed Cesarean Sections<\/h2>\n<p>Doctors order cesarean <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/tests-procedures\/c-section\/about\/pac-20393655\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">sections (C-sections)<\/a> for a number of reasons. They may be scheduled ahead of time due to recognized medical conditions or ordered on the day of a birth if there is some difficulty with natural delivery. This might occur if, for example, the baby is in an unusual position or the placenta is covering the opening of the cervix.<\/p>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/news\/item\/16-06-2021-caesarean-section-rates-continue-to-rise-amid-growing-inequalities-in-access\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">data from the World Health Organization (WHO)<\/a>, C-sections are becoming more common globally. They accounted for around 21% of all births in 2021 and are likely to account for around 29% of births by 2030.<\/p>\n<p>In all cases, it\u2019s up to obstetricians to decide when C-sections are necessary and to order them in a timely fashion. Failure to do so can have disastrous results, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Severe blood loss for the mother<\/li>\n<li>Lacerations on the baby, potentially leading to further complications <a href=\"https:\/\/www.webmd.com\/a-to-z-guides\/sepsis-septicemia-blood-infection\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">like sepsis<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Oxygen deprivation for the baby, also known as birth asphyxia. This can potentially lead to lifelong conditions like cerebral palsy, cognitive impairment, and chronic dysfunction in various organs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Neglecting to order a C-section in a timely fashion may <a href=\"https:\/\/cochranfirmphiladelphia.com\/do-you-have-a-medical-malpractice-case\/\">constitute medical malpractice<\/a> if it results in an injury like one of those discussed here.<\/p>\n<h2>Caput Succedaneum<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mountsinai.org\/health-library\/diseases-conditions\/caput-succedaneum#:~:text=Caput%20succedaneum%20is%20swelling%20of,enters%20the%20cervix%20during%20birth.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Caput succedaneum<\/a> is a swelling of a baby\u2019s scalp shortly after birth. This is caused by pressure from the mother\u2019s uterus or vaginal wall during delivery. Caput succedaneum can also be caused by the use of vacuum extraction devices during a protracted delivery.<\/p>\n<p>Caput succedaneum often arises when doctors or midwives use excessive force or improper techniques during a difficult delivery, such as incorrect use of forceps or vacuum extraction. Inadequate monitoring of the baby's position and the birth process may also contribute to unnecessary pressure on the baby's scalp, resulting in swelling.<\/p>\n<p>This condition generally heals by itself over the course of a few days. However, in more serious cases, it can lead to ongoing swelling or bruising. Your baby\u2019s primary care physician should provide guidance on what to expect after the onset of caput succedaneum, as well as whether any treatment may be appropriate.<\/p>\n<h2>Bruising and Broken Bones<\/h2>\n<p>These may occur due to physical stresses a baby undergoes when passing through the birth canal or contact with bones and tissues in the mother\u2019s pelvis. The use of forceps during delivery can leave marks on a newborn\u2019s head or face, especially when doctors use excessive force. Broken bones can occur with improper use of birth-assisting tools or when an infant is tugged too forcefully. Birthing fractures are particularly common in the collarbone (clavicle).<\/p>\n<p>Many bruises and fractures to newborns will heal relatively quickly, without causing long-term complications. However, some fractures may cause lifelong symptoms, such as nerve damage. If a baby suffers an injury to the bones of the back and neck during childbirth, this can lead to permanent physical disability.<\/p>\n<p>The costs related to an injury like this can be enormous. That\u2019s why it\u2019s crucial to <a href=\"https:\/\/cochranfirmphiladelphia.com\/contact-us\/\">consult with a lawyer<\/a> right away if you think medical malpractice may have played a role in your baby\u2019s condition.<\/p>\n<h2>Brachial Plexus Injury<\/h2>\n<p>The brachial plexus is a network of nerves that connects the spinal cord to the arms and hands. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.webmd.com\/pain-management\/what-is-brachial-plexus-palsy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Brachial plexus palsy<\/a> (also known as Erb\u2019s palsy) is a condition that causes weakness or loss of movement in the arm and can occur if these nerves are damaged. This type of injury typically occurs during difficult births, especially if the baby\u2019s shoulders get stuck in the birth canal and a doctor tugs on one arm to help extract the child.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s important to note that issues like this will not always be the result of medical negligence. Every case is different; if a birth is particularly difficult, there may not be anything a doctor can do to extract the baby without causing some degree of injury. In other cases, however, a doctor\u2019s carelessness may lead them to cause damage unnecessarily.<\/p>\n<p>The distinction between proper and improper care in these cases can often be difficult to identify. That\u2019s why you need a <a href=\"https:\/\/cochranfirmphiladelphia.com\/philadelphia-medical-malpractice-lawyer\/\">medical malpractice firm<\/a> with the experience and resources required to get to the bottom of the issues at hand and build as strong a case as possible in your favor.<\/p>\n<h2>Contact the Cochran Firm in Philadelphia Today<\/h2>\n<p>Suffering a painful and debilitating injury at the very outset of life is one of the most devastating things that can happen to anyone. When something like this affects your child because of the carelessness of doctors or other members of birthing room staff, it\u2019s important to understand that you shouldn\u2019t have to face the accompanying burden without help.<\/p>\n<p>We can help you assess whether you may be entitled to compensation. Contact us by calling 800-969-4400 or filling out our online contact form to schedule a free initial consultation with one of our birth injury lawyers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>According to the March of Dimes Perinatal Data Center, there were over 130,000 live births in the state of Pennsylvania in 2022. Most births in our state are completed safely; however, in a substantial minority of cases, medical negligence harms the mother, the baby, or both. Lack of focus and care in the birthing room [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"Common Medical Malpractice Errors That Occur in Philly","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1325","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cochranfirm.com\/philadelphia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1325","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cochranfirm.com\/philadelphia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cochranfirm.com\/philadelphia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cochranfirm.com\/philadelphia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cochranfirm.com\/philadelphia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1325"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cochranfirm.com\/philadelphia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1325\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cochranfirm.com\/philadelphia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1325"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cochranfirm.com\/philadelphia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1325"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cochranfirm.com\/philadelphia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1325"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}