A newborn in Ireland died a week after his birth due to a brain injury caused by forceps used in the delivery process. Claire McGovern, the baby’s mother, arrived at the National Maternity Hospital with painful contractions. She was almost 40 weeks pregnant, and doctors attempted to assist a natural birth with forceps. When the birth failed to progress, nurses took the mother upstairs to undergo a Caesarean section. Sadly, baby Daniel McGovern suffered a non-depressed fracture of the skull and a subgaleal hemorrhage of the brain, and he died a week later. Dr. Declan Keane, an obstetrician at the hospital, reported that he had “no doubt the fracture was most probably due to forceps.” He also commented that the entire delivery process would be improved if the delivery rooms were on the same floor as the operating rooms. The hospital applied for funding to remedy this problem previously, but…
Read More »
Birth Injury and Cerebral Palsy Attorneys Home
Forceps Cause Newborn Skull Fracture
September 12, 2011Boy with Birth Injury Receives Millions in Compensation
September 9, 2011As a result of his delivery at London’s St. George’s Hospital in 2004, Leo Whiten suffered severe brain damage that requires others to take care of him. The boy is now seven years old, and he and his family claimed damages against the hospital for personal injury and financial losses because of the negligence shown to Leo’s mother and the birthing process. According to the UK’s The Independent, Judges in the case determined that Leo will never be able to live independently, will not be capable of employment and will not have the mental capacity to handle his own affairs. In fact, Leo has limited mobility, cannot walk or stand unaided and has no functional speech due to the birth injury. The defendant in the case admitted that their breach of duty in the birthing in September 2005, and finally admitted that the breach of duty caused the claimant’s injury…
Read More »
Hypothermia Used to Prevent Newborn Brain Damage
September 7, 2011New studies show that inducing hypothermia, or cooling patients down with a cold blanket, eases damaging effects resulting from emergencies including oxygen loss. In particular, advanced neonatal intensive care units are using hypothermia to treat newborns experiencing restricted blood flow during delivery. According to the Los Angeles Times, restricted blood flow causes oxygen deprivation, and newborns who experience this oxygen deprivation may suffer brain damage and cerebral palsy. In a 2005 study, doctors cooled 102 infants and compared them to 106 babies kept warm after experiencing potential brain damage. Fifty-six percent of infants who were cooled survived with little or no disability compared to 38 percent of infants kept warm. Amanda Reynolds gave birth to Avery in 2010, blue from a lack of oxygen. Doctors wrapped the infant in a cold blanket to induce hypothermia. She spent more than six weeks in the hospital, but now she is developmentally on…
Read More »
