One of the most traumatic things a person can go through is worrying about the health, well-being, and safety of their newborn child. Unfortunately, negative things sometimes happen near the time of birth due to a doctor’s negligence. As you will find out below, it’s not uncommon for a newborn to suffer defects or injuries because a Doctor wasn’t careful enough. Here are a few facts about medical malpractice and birth injury that may shock you, but are interesting nonetheless and important for you to know should you be expecting.
- General Medical Malpractice is Not Rare
According to the Washington Post, medical malpractice in America is now the third leading cause of death! A study published in the BMJ cited by the Post claimed that 251,000 lives are lost every year due to doctor irresponsibility. That number is rightfully terrifying, as we depend so much on medical professionals when life gives us bad hands. So you see, this isn’t necessarily a few and far between thing. It’s the third most pressing issue facing our society today. - Injured Newborns aren’t Necessary an Anomaly
As of 2015, 28,000 babies are born injured on a yearly basis. I don’t have to explain to anyone reading this how that is no small number. When you have both medical malpractice and birth injuries at such high rates in the United States, the two are going to intermingle. While the amount of birth injuries due to malpractice isn’t commonly talked about or reported, nobody disagrees that those cases happen pretty regularly. - C-Sections Matter Here
That’s right – caesarean sections, which are supposed to make giving birth easier, can actually have dire consequences should your doctor be negligent. In fact, the most birth injury malpractice cases happen because of C-sections! Primarily, this is due to failed attempts with forceps or vacuums. Skin lacerations are the most common injuries induced during C-sections, but cephalohematoma (injury to an infant’s skull bone) happens quite a bit as well. - Cerebral Palsy is a Common Consequence of Malpractice in Newborns
Among the most common birth injuries is Cerebral Palsy, which may surprise you. In fact, it’s actually a very common malpractice consequence. Infection and suppressed oxygen due to negligence are the two main causes of Cerebral Palsy in malpractice cases. While some causes are untraceable, we are unfortunately sure that, notably often, medical malpractice has resulted in cerebral palsy. - Doctors May Not Admit to their Mistakes
“Getting to the truth in a birth injury or malpractice case is very difficult; the medical providers will not be forthcoming” writes birthinjurymedicalmalpractice.com. Unfortunately this isn’t far from the truth. If your newborn is injured, most definitely you should look into it, as the doctor might not own up to his or her own actions.
In a world where dishonesty is prevalent even among medical professionals, it can be easy to get disheartened. But don’t despair – the majority of doctors are good and legitimately want to help you how they can! However, if you need a place to vent about your problems with doctors, go ahead and let it go in the replies below!