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Medical Negligence

Medical Negligence or Malpractice during Childbirth 

Sometimes, a birth injury is a result of negligence on the part of the physician and other medical providers who care for a woman during her pregnancy, labor and delivery. Medical negligence, or malpractice, occurs when a doctor, or other health care provider, deviates from accepted standards of practice, and consequently causes harm to a patient.

Birth injuries can be caused by medical negligence in a variety of scenarios, including, but not limited to, the following:

• Failure to accurately interpret fetal ultrasounds or heart rate monitors
• Failure to identify and respond to fetal distress in a timely manner
• Failure to perform a cesarean section (c-section) when warranted
• Failure to expedite delivery of the baby
• Excessive force applied by obstetrical and operative devices such as forceps and vacuum extractions 
• Improper use of Pitocin, a drug which is used to induce or facilitate labor
• Applying excessive force to a baby's neck or shoulders during delivery
• Failure to adequately resuscitate or care for the newborn after delivery

Medical Negligence may also be due to a physician’s improper management of a complicated pregnancy or delivery situation such as:

• Abnormally large babies
• Prematurity; babies born before 37 weeks
• Abnormal maternal bleeding or fetal bleeding
• Compressed or prolapsed umbilical cord
• Prolonged labor
• Abnormally large fetus
• Underweight or premature fetus
• Abnormal birthing presentation, such as breech
• Detached placenta
• Inadequate pelvis size for vaginal delivery
• Maternal infections

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