Birth Trauma Attorneys Explore the Causes
According to one report, the United States now has the highest first-day infant death rate of all industrialized countries. Over 11,000 newborns in the U.S. die before they are even 24 hours old, which is 50 percent more than all other industrialized countries combined. This data may be shocking to many mothers to-be and is far below what most people expect from the health care in the U.S. This raises questions about what medical practices cause so many U.S. newborns to suffer wrongful death.
The Causes of High Infant Mortality in the United States
The first 24 hours of a child’s life are the riskiest, and many factors can cause the child to suffer from complications, including some that occur far before the child is born:
- Poor prenatal care is often linked to infant mortality. Many pregnant women receive inadequate health care during pregnancy.
- Many children in the U.S. are born pre-term. This could be related to poor prenatal care, but premature births are sometimes planned. Reducing the number of babies born before 39 weeks could prove important in lowering the infant mortality rate. Pre-term babies often experience health problems because they are underdeveloped.
- When hospitals take certain cost-cutting measures, it can cost infants their lives. Basic measures like antibiotics to eliminate medical risks and hand-pumped masks to resuscitate newborns are inexpensive and can save many babies. Low-technology interventions can save about 75 percent of infants that die within their first 24 hours.
- Some of the fault may lie with medical staff. Nursing staff and clinical teams sometimes fail to recognize fetal distress, do not perform timely cesarean sections, do not recognize the need to resuscitate a baby that is suffocating, use forceps inappropriately and use inappropriate labor inducing drugs.
Find a Birth Trauma Attorney Near You
Newborns require competent medical care to enjoy healthy lives. Mistakes that occur during prenatal care or during childbirth can drastically change a child’s life. When birth injuries occur, our birth trauma lawyers defend the rights of families. Though we cannot fix the damage caused by this medical malpractice, we can use our knowledge and skills to get families compensation for medical expenses and pain and suffering. Our attorneys have a combined 80 years of legal experience. We have sought results for many families dealing with the effects of birth trauma. Speak with our lawyers by calling 1-(800)-460-0606 for free attorney advice about birth injuries. We try cases nationwide.
