A birth injury is defined as damage that’s done to your baby either before, during, or after the birthing process. There are a variety of causes of birth injuries. Some may be due to a prolonged or difficult labor. The doctor may make the decision to get the baby out using forceps or some other implement.
Some of the more typical birth injuries that are seen are bruising or scratching. These types of injuries generally resolve within a few days. Other more severe injuries may result in brain bleeds or permanent defects. This may leave you wondering what steps to take following a birth injury. Here are some of the things that you can do if a birth injury does occur.
Have a Medical Assessment
Request an independent doctor to come and assess your baby. This may be another doctor in the facility or even your own doctor. You want to have your baby evaluated thoroughly to determine the extent of the injury. Have testing performed immediately if it’s deemed necessary. This will give you a baseline of where things stand with your newborn. You don’t want the doctor to claim that the injuries occurred at a later date.
Obtain Documentation
Get as much documentation together as possible. You’ll need this if you decide to move forward with filing a malpractice claim. Depending on the extent of the injury, the resulting medical bills could start to add up. This may be a financial hardship for your family. It will also help you to be prepared for what to expect with your baby. You’ll need to have a firm grasp on the long-term consequences of the birth injury. There may be additional care expenses that will need to be considered.
Seek Legal Advice
Do some research so that you can get the right legal advice. These types of cases can be tricky depending on the nature of the injury. Birth injury lawyers will be able to help you with moving your case to the next level. You don’t want to be caught unaware of how things are progressing with your claim. Your lawyer will be able to provide expert witnesses to give your case more validity. A birth injury can be a serious deal when it comes to the implications for your newborn and your family.
Know your rights when it comes to your baby suffering from a birth injury. You don’t have to take the delivering doctor’s word for the outcome to your baby.