Mothers and a newborn child are in a fragile condition when undergoing labour. There are numerous issues that could lead to health or developmental issues later on.
Obstetricians and nurses are responsible for delivering your child in good health as well as ensuring the health of the mother, but factors such as the size of the baby’s head, a baby’s positioning, the speed of a baby’s heartbeat or the baby’s umbilical cord wrapping around the child’s neck are a few of the issues that affect how a mother gives birth.
The mother’s health also needs to be closely monitored during delivery. Complications such as a ruptured blood vessel, unsafe abortion, infection, seizures caused by high blood pressure and obstructed labour can lead to death during pregnancy or child delivery.
Any number of issues requires the obstetrician to quickly adapt their delivery approach, but sometimes there are birth-related injuries to the mother or child that show negligence by the obstetrician or hospital staff, which you can file a medical malpractice lawsuit.
A newborn needing neonatal care for at least a day is ten times more likely to have an adverse event, according to a study conducted by the Canadian Patient Safety Institute.
In British Columbia, an obstetrician was ruled liable for the injuries caused to 15-year-old Cassidy Ediger during her birth. She suffers from spastic quadriplegia, a severe form of cerebral palsy caused by damage to the brain, which causes frequent seizures, difficulty in speech and motor issues. Obstetrician Dr. William Johnston was found negligent for using forceps during the delivery without properly explaining the risks to the mother. It’s believed that adjusting the positioning with the forceps could have caused the umbilical cord to compress the child’s neck and lead to bradycardia, a condition where the baby’s heartbeat slows down due to a lack of oxygen. The court also found the obstetrician negligent in the lack of surgical backup available to deliver the child through a cesarean section or C-section.
Staff at the Toronto General Hospital were deemed negligent when a child suffered permanent brain damage due to a lack of oxygen in the womb for more than three hours. The court ruled that the hospital’s failure to monitor the baby’s heartbeat during the delivery could have prevented the injury. The now 28-year-old daughter requires help to eat, dress and use the bathroom.
Many children diagnosed with cerebral palsy face a difficult transition to adulthood from childhood. Brain injuries can have devastating consequences to a person, which can be confusing and difficult to handle. They could require special care for the rest of their lives and Neinstein Personal Injury Lawyers is here for you if they do. We know how to get you compensation if you or a family member has been injured while giving birth. Call us at 416-920-4242 to set up a free consultation. Come chat with us!