All pregnant women deserve the best possible medical care during delivery to give birth to healthy children. However, the sad truth is that any mistake in the delivery room by a doctor or nurse can have grave and life-long consequences to a mother and child. If you received a vacuum extraction during delivery and you or your child suffered harm as a result, a birth injury attorney can investigate the situation to determine if medical malpractice caused the injury.
What Is Vacuum Extraction and What are its Risks?
Vacuum extraction is a process whereby a small suction cup is attached to the head of the baby during delivery to orient the child through the birth canal. An attending physician may choose to use vacuum extraction during labor to speed along the process. Since its initial introduction in the 1980s, vacuum extraction (sometimes referred to as VE) has grown in popularity amongst obstetricians in the resultant decades.
Despite the method’s popularity, there have also been an increasing number of instances where VE has resulted in a serious and lasting birth injury to a newborn child. The FDA issued a Public Health Advisory, citing the need for caution when using VE. The advisory states that “some health care professionals who use vacuum assisted delivery devices, or those who care for these infants following delivery, may not be aware that the device may produce life-threatening complications.” The two major complications the FDA cited were subgaleal hematoma and intracranial hemorrhage, or bleeding within the skull.
The Potential Consequences of Vacuum Extraction
Despite the intended safety benefits of the device, vacuum extractors carry a certain amount of risk for subgaleal hematomas and intracranial hemorrhaging. These serious consequences from the improper use of vacuum extractors may also cause:
- Brain Injury
- Cerebral palsy
- Erb’s palsy
- Shoulder dystocia
- Scalp wounds
- Nerve damage
- Collarbone fractures
- Skull fractures
- Asphyxia
- Facial paralysis
- Blood clots
At minimum, these injuries can necessitate a longer hospital stay and invasive corrective surgeries for the newborn. The worst case scenarios can result in a child’s lifelong disability or death.
In the event of lifelong disability from brain injury, cerebral palsy or other harm, families may face financial uncertainly in the aftermath of a birth injury caused by vacuum extraction. Children born with debilitating birth injures may need physical rehabilitation, surgery and other special needs to live the best quality of life possible. Many times, the entire family will suffer extreme stress and emotional burdens in the aftermath of an injury to a newborn.
What Can Families Do After Medical Malpractice Causes a Birth Injury?
Our office has helped many parents and children find justice and compensation for the harm they suffered as the result of medical malpractice. Although no one can change the past, families are entitled to compensation to pay medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and more for both parents and children. This compensation can assist families in raising a child with medical issues and can help the child throughout his or her entire life. Our firm’s founding partner is both a medical doctor and a birth injury lawyer, and we will begin a thorough investigation to prove your case. Contact us today for a confidential and compassionate consultation.
