Birth Injury Malpractice: How Labor and Delivery Errors Change a Child’s Future

Bringing a child into this world should be a joyful time. Unfortunately, errors may occur during labor and delivery. These errors can impact a child’s cognitive and physical development, resulting in developmental delays. A competent obstetrician-gynecologist should be aware of these risks and be proactive in administering care. If your child experienced injuries during labor and delivery due to a physician’s oversight, our Greenville birth injury lawyers are available to represent your child’s and your family’s interests.

Neurological and Physical Disorders

Physicians and obstetrician-gynecologists (OB/GYNs) are responsible for monitoring a baby’s heart rate, frequency of uterine contractions, and the mother’s vitals during birth. If a baby does not receive adequate oxygen to the brain, this can result in cerebral palsy (CP) or hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). These conditions share similar traits, including difficulty with motor skills, balance, and abnormal muscle tone (rigid or floppy). There are various symptoms associated with each condition, with children frequently experiencing difficulty feeding and slowed reflexes in both.

Further developmental delays for both conditions include delays in crawling, sitting, and walking. Children with CP younger than six months of age will begin to show symptoms of developmental delays, while HIE symptoms may be present shortly after birth. Movement difficulties point to an inability to control their muscles, indicative of brain damage.

Emotional Distress

A child who experiences a birth injury will be dealing with more than physical and neurological complications. Disabled children often have higher levels of anxiety, sadness, and frustration. When they cannot relate to the world as others do, they may become more irritable and misbehave due to frustration. Kids between the ages of five and seven usually become aware of their disability, making it difficult for them to socialize with other children. These signs of emotional distress can greatly affect family dynamics as well, causing parents to ignore a sibling with no developmental needs. Given strained familial relationships, further tension is created within the household.

Financial Hardship

While there is no denying that taking care of a child comes with ups and downs, raising a disabled child certainly takes a financial toll on a family. Caring for a disabled child comes with substantial expenses, including costs for surgeries, modifications to your home, and physical therapy. Your child will need extra attention, which may force you to quit your job or to work a part-time schedule. The emotional hardship that your child experiences will also make it necessary for them to undergo talk therapy and other behavioral therapies to treat anxiety and depression symptoms. Given these hurdles, many parents of disabled children earn lower incomes.

Your Child’s Future Matters

During delivery, you rely on healthcare professionals to monitor vitals for you and your baby. Many birth complications are preventable, given that appropriate interventions are administered. At Parham Smith & Archenhold LLC, we believe that an OB/GYN or other provider should be held accountable for his or her oversight. Our legal team will assess your situation, gather evidence, and consult with medical experts to determine if the treating physician deviated from the expected standard of care. If so, we are prepared to take on your legal battle to obtain the compensation you and your family deserve.

Consult with Our Greenville Birth Injury Lawyers

If your child experienced an injury or complication during labor or delivery, do not hesitate to contact our Greenville birth injury attorneys. At Parham Smith & Archenhold, LLC, our main objective is to see justice done. Our medical malpractice lawyers want to see your child live the best life possible, which may only be possible with compensation for your losses. To arrange a free consultation with a member of our legal team, contact our office online or by phone at (864) 432-1796 today.