When a baby encounters difficulty passing through the birth canal, prompt intervention is usually necessary to prevent hypoxic brain injury and facilitate a successful, healthy birth. Many doctors of earlier generations were trained to use forceps when delivery was stalled. Younger obstretricians tend to use vacuum extractors instead. There are risks to both of these methods, and using a forceps to deliver a child can lead to severe forceps injury. If your child suffered an injury such as cerebral palsy or Erb’s palsy, and you have reason to believe that medical negligence played a part, you should call the New Haven birth injury attorneys at Jacobs & Jacobs.
A stalled delivery in the birth canal sometimes happens because the baby is in breech position, sometimes because the mother is unable to assist by pushing, and sometimes because of an extremely lengthy labor. If forceps are used to facilitate a challenging birth, an obstetrician must use great care to prevent injury.
How Jacobs & Jacobs Handles Forceps Injury Cases
Forceps delivery is always risky. Examples of birth injuries that may be traced to use of forceps may include the following:
Nerve damage to the baby, which may result in disfigurement to the face or injury to the neck
Blindness in one or both eyes
Fractured skull with potential for brain injury
Injury to the mother, including potential for vaginal lacerations or rectum injuries
