Brain injuries to children during birth are heartbreaking, often resulting in undue stress on both the child and his or her parents. Among the way newborns can suffer brain injuries during birth include the use of forceps during the wrong stage of labor or with unnecessary force. 
A doctor can harm a child tremendously, giving it a brain injury, bruising, permanent indentations, severe cranial damage, excessive blood loss or cephalohematoma. Some of these injuries, such as subgaleal hemorrhages are fatal and difficult to recognize in newborns.
According to the Mayo Clinic, possible risks to forceps use include:
- Facial injuries due to the pressure
- Temporary weakness in the facial muscles
- Minor external eye trauma
- Skull fracture
- Bleeding within the skull
- Seizures
Additionally, the use of forceps can hurt a woman during the delivery process, with injuries that can include genital tract tears and wounds, short-term or long-term urinary or fecal incontinence, injuries to the bladder or urethra, uterine rupture and the weakening of the muscles and ligaments near the pelvic region.
This is why many doctors choose not to use forceps. According to reports, they are now used in less than 1 percent of deliveries. However, some doctors still choose to use the devices in certain situations, exposing a child and his or her mother to risk.
Omaha Couple Awarded $11.5 Million Following Botched Forceps Delivery
According to the Omaha-World Herald, last fall a jury awarded a couple $11.5 million following a medical malpractice trial involving the severe brain damage of their child.
The news outlet reported that the verdict was against Nebraska Methodist Hospital and Physicians Clinic. Reports indicate that the child was born in 2010 and the delivery was “grossly mismanaged by the midwife and doctor.”
It was alleged that the child’s health deteriorated throughout the delivery and eventually forceps were improperly used. Attorneys were able to argue that the misapplication of forceps resulted in the child’s brain injury.
My Child Suffered a Brain Injury During Birth
As this case shows, children can sustain injuries during childbirth that are debilitating. If your child suffered a brain injury due to the negligence of a healthcare provider, our Ryan Krebs, M.D., J.D., is uniquely qualified to handle medical malpractice cases.
We offer representation for children who have suffered brain injuries and/or cerebral palsy. A lawsuit could help you pay for future healthcare costs, as brain injuries are typically expensive. We provide services with unequaled legal expertise.
