New Jersey Attorneys for Failure to Perform and Delayed C-Section Birth Injuries
You may have envisioned the labor and delivery of your child happening naturally, but there are some cases in which a cesarean section (or C-section) is absolutely necessary to ensure the safety of you and your baby. Doctors must recognize circumstances that place you and your child in danger and immediately respond to prevent serious harm. There are a host of maternal and fetal conditions that may call for a cesarean delivery. By identifying risk factors for birth injuries and performing a cesarean section, obstetricians can proceed with your delivery and minimize the potential for complications. In some cases, the process of childbirth changes in an instant, and an emergency C-section must be implemented immediately.
Failure to perform a C-section or delayed cesarean section are just two of the many C-section errors that may compromise your health and the health of your newborn. When this type of medical negligence occurs and you or your child is injured, you may have grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit. Our New Jersey medical malpractice attorneys hold obstetricians and other healthcare professionals accountable on behalf of birth injury victims and their loved ones. For a free consultation about your C-section malpractice case, contact us immediately at (866)-708-8617 or send us an email.
What is a Cesarean Section?
A Cesarean section, also known as a “C-section,” is a surgical procedure used to deliver a baby through the mother’s abdomen, as opposed to the birth canal. This surgery requires an incision in the mother’s abdomen and uterus. Approximately one-third of women in the United States give birth via C-section each year. In some cases, the doctor will determine the necessity for a cesarean delivery and schedule this procedure ahead of time. In other circumstances, a complication that arises during labor will make an emergency C-section necessary.
What are the Risks of a C-Section Procedure?
Like all surgeries, cesarean-section procedures have some inherent risks. For example, the mother is at risk for bleeding, blood clots, organ damage, postpartum pain, bladder injuries, damage to the bowel, nerve damage, and infection. However, a C-section can be a life-saving measure if you or your baby is at risk.
Reasons for a C-Section Delivery
Your doctor may decide to schedule you for a cesarean delivery ahead of time if you have certain risk factors that may make a vaginal delivery more dangerous. Some of the reasons for a scheduled C-section include:
- Previous c-section
- Multiple birth (you are carrying two or more babies)
- Fetal macrosomia: the baby is larger than average in size for the period of gestation (may be linked to gestational diabetes)
- Abnormal delivery presentation: if the baby is in breech or transverse position
- Placenta previa: a condition that occurs when the placenta is positioned low, and is partially or completely covering the cervix
Reasons for an Emergency Cesarean Section
There are complications or circumstances thay arise during labor that your doctor must recognize. Obstetricians must know and understand the conditions that make proceeding with vaginally delivery dangerous to your or your child. Doctors must make in-the-moment judgement calls related to the method of delivery if conditions during labor signal a potential issue. Some reasons for an emergency C-section during labor include:
- Fetal distress: the baby has an abnormal heart rate, which may be caused by lack of oxygen (birth asphyxia)
- Prolonged labor that fails to progress: if your cervix stops dilating or your baby stops moving down the birth canal and doctors cannot stimulate labor with medication or other means
- Umbilical cord prolapse: the umbilical cord exits the cervix before the newborn, which may lead to oxygen deprivation for the baby
- Placenta previa: the placenta is positioned low in the uterus and is covering the cervix, which may result in maternal hemorrhage
- Placental abruption: the placenta begins to separate from your uterine wall
- Uterine rupture: the uterus experiences a tear that may cause maternal hemorrhaging and a neonatal asphyxia
Birth Injuries from Delayed C-Section
If doctors let labor go on for a prolonged period, this significantly increases the risk of birth injury. Failure to order a C-section can also lead to birth trauma when the baby should not be delivered vaginally. Pulling the baby too hard out of the birth canal, in an awkward position, or putting too much pressure on the baby’s head can lead to a host of severe birth injuries, including:
- Hemorrhage
- Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE)
- Cerebral palsy
- Erb’s Palsy
- Klumpke’s Palsy
- Hydrocephalus
- Seizures
- Developmental delays
- Learning disabilities
- Wrongful death
Contact our NJ Cesarean Birth Injury Lawyers for a Free Case Evaluation
If you or your child were injured because a doctor failed to order a C-section or was delayed in performing a C-section, you may have grounds for a lawsuit. Our New Jersey birth injury attorneys will thoroughly examine your case and work with renowned medical experts to build the most effective claim for compensation. We know the toll complications from cesarean birth negligence can take on you and your loved ones, which is why we fight to obtain the costs of medical care for you and your baby, rehabilitative treatment, therapies, and the emotional trauma caused by these injuries. Let us review your C-section error case free of charge. Simply call (866)-708-8617 or contact us online today.
