According to Bloomberg, AbbVie Inc., which manufactured Depakote, has been ordered to pay $15 million to the family of a California boy who was born with severe birth defects. The news outlet reported that an Illinois federal jury delivered the verdict against the drug manufacturer last month. The 10-year-old boy’s mother allegedly took Depakote during her pregnancy to fight bipolar disorder, which her lawyers claim led to the boy being born with spina bifida. The boy has reportedly had to undergo 12 surgeries since birth and is now confined to a wheelchair. The news outlet reports that there are currently 700 pending Depakote lawsuits in U.S. courts arguing children’s birth defects were caused when expecting mothers took the drug and were not warned about its side effects. AbbVie, which is now a part of Abbott Laboratories, still retains liability when it comes to Depakote litigation. In court, attorneys said that…
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Birth Injury and Cerebral Palsy Attorneys Home
Depakote Birth Defect Lawsuit: Spinal Cord Injuries Result in $15 Million Verdict
July 13, 2017Forceps and Vacuum Deliveries Lead to Higher Rates of Trauma
June 21, 2017A new study allegedly confirms that midpelvic forceps and midpelvic vacuum deliveries lead to higher rates of birth trauma when compared to C-section deliveries. The news comes from the CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). To view the Science News synopsis of the study, you can click on the source link at the bottom of this page. It is discouraging information, as according to the report, in 2014, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists encouraged the increased use of forceps and vacuums during labor to reduce the need for surgical procedures. Of the more than 187,000 deliveries investigated in Canada from 2003-13 (including all midpelvic live or stillbirths via forceps or vacuum and cesarean delivery) between 37 and 41 weeks, more than 76,000 women had further medical interventions because of “poor uterine contractions.” Researchers discovered that in births not involving fetal distress, “severe complications for the baby were 80 percent…
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Doctor Answers Phone During Delivery, Child Suffers Brain Damage
May 29, 2017A Miami doctor was recently sued for $33.8 million following a botched delivery in which the parents of a child say it suffered from brain damage while the physician took a call from his stockbroker. The Miami Herald reported earlier this year that an obstetrician failed to adequately care for his patients during a 90 minute delivery in 2013, making a series of missteps. The doctor allegedly spoke on the phone with his stockbroker for eight minutes and walked away from the delivery room several times. After the child was delivered, he reportedly had a blue complexion and his limbs were limp. He reportedly suffered from a lack of oxygen and brain damage during the delivery process. The doctor alleged that the mother was not pushing hard enough during the child’s birth and that she refused a C-section, leading to the complications. However, it was later reported that a nurse…
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