What causes most brachial plexus birth injuries in Michigan?

Dearborn, MI – Michigan has many state-of-the-art hospitals and highly-trained doctors. A woman giving birth in a Michigan hospital should have nothing to fear. Unfortunately, not all birth stories end well and instead of heading home with their new baby, many mothers are plunged into a nightmare when their little one is rushed to the NICU. According to statistics, brachial plexus injuries occur in 1-3 out of every 1,000 births. When they do occur they’re almost always the result of a medical error. Some types of brachial plexus injuries heal on their own in a few weeks, but the most serious ones may require surgery, followed by months or years of grueling physical therapy. Both the child and the parents will suffer tremendously and those responsible should not go unpunished. 

If your little one suffered a brachial plexus injury, you must look up the best Michigan birth injury lawyers and let them help you sue those who did this to your family.

Main causes of brachial plexus injury

The brachial plexus is a complex network of nerves in the neck and shoulder area. These nerves send signals from the brain to the upper limbs. They control muscle function and sensibility in the chest, shoulder, arms, and hands. A child who suffers such an injury may experience muscle weakness or paralysis in the affected limb. 

The most common causes of brachial plexus injury include:

Large gestational size

It is the doctor’s duty to assess the size of the baby and decide whether a safe vaginal birth is possible. If the baby is larger than average or if the mother’s hips are not wide enough to allow safe passage of the baby, the doctor should perform a C-section rather than risk injury to the mother or child.

Breech birth

Brachial plexus injury is more common in breech births when the baby presents bottom or feet first. If attempts to turn the baby head-first fail, a C-section is necessary. However, brachial plexus injury may occur even if the baby comes head first but its head and neck are pulling toward the side.

Prolonged or difficult labor

A woman in labor must be monitored continuously to prevent fetal distress or injury to the mother and child. If the mother is left unsupervised or there’s a miscommunication between nurses, midwives, and doctors and an injury occurs, those responsible must pay for their mistakes. Your birth injury lawyers will want to see the medical records pertaining to the labor and delivery, and they may also interview those who assisted in the birth.

Vacuum or forceps-assisted delivery

Instrumental or assisted deliveries are rare these days and they account for only 3% of the total number of births. There’s a very good reason doctors prefer not to use suction cups or forceps during delivery. These instruments can cause trauma to both mother and child. 

Your lawyers will want to know if assisted delivery was the only solution in your case and they’ll also check the doctor’s experience in using those instruments. Your attorneys will talk to reputable doctors to see what went wrong and what other options were there.

High-risk, twin or multiple pregnancies

A pregnancy is considered high-risk when there are potential complications that could affect the mother, the baby, or both. If the mother is over the age of 35 or suffers from pre-existing or pregnancy-related conditions, she must be carefully monitored, throughout the pregnancy and once she goes into labor. The same applies if she is carrying twins or triplets. Vaginal birth may be possible, but in many cases, a C-section is the safer choice.

Your lawyers will look into your complete medical history to see why the doctor missed warning signs and allowed your baby to be injured. 

If you live in the state of Michigan and you have a child who was injured at birth, schedule a free consultation with a reliable lawyer at Meyers Law PLLC and get their opinion on how to proceed with your claim. 

Contact info:

Meyers Law PLLC

3200 Greenfield Road

Suite 260

Dearborn, MI 48120