Determining Birth Injury versus Birth Defect
If your child was injured at birth, the first thing to understand is the difference between a birth defect and a birth injury.
A birth defect is a condition involving your child’s DNA, including cleft palate, Down Syndrome, or heart defects. These conditions are not due to outside influence and are usually not preventable.
A birth injury is considered preventable and could be due to health care negligence or medication-related negligence during delivery or pregnancy. These injuries include brachial plexus injury, cerebral palsy, erb’s palsy, hypoxia and/or shoulder dystocia. Birth injuries may be the result of:
- Incorrect use of birth-assisting tools
- Failure to perform an emergency C-section
- Negligence regarding maternal infections
- Failure to identify and remedy a prolapsed umbilical cord
While injury that occurs at birth may appear mild, it could increase in severity as your child develops. By monitoring your child, you can watch for developmental struggles and notify your pediatrician.
If your child is exhibiting signs of delayed development, health-related struggles or growth struggles, it may be due to a birth injury.
In this case, you need the experience and dedication our team at Gerash Steiner & Blanton, P. C. provides. Don’t wait until your child is older, act now and fight for the settlement you deserve.
Signs and Symptoms
If your child shows signs of distress or developmental delay, speak with your pediatrician immediately, as it may be an indication of a birth-related injury. Symptoms may include:
- Skeletal issues: favoring one side of the body or avoiding movement in a part of the body, fractures, muscle tone issues, curling of the hands or feet;
- Abnormalities in actions: arching the back when crying, difficulty nursing, seizures, excessive drooling;
- Health symptoms: fever, low heart rate, constipation, changes in hearing or vision, anemia, jaundice
Compassionate Colorado Attorneys
If your child was injured at birth due to medical malpractice, let us help you fight for the compensation your family deserves.
Our Denver birth injury lawyers work closely with Dr. Eric Steiner, a physician and lawyer, giving us insight into delivery room and medical practices.
You don’t have to worry about out-of-pocket legal expenses during your birth injury case because our team offers services on a contingency fee basis. We take the legal matters out of your hands, so you can take care of your baby.
If your child was injured at birth, you may have a case. Contact our team today for a free consultation. Call: (303) 732-5048.