When a mother gives birth to a baby, it should be one of the most emotional and joyful experiences of a woman’s life. When an expectant mother is under the care of a diligent physician and receiving proper medical examinations and monitoring, then 97 percent of the time the birth of a child is an experience that is joyful and uncomplicated.
During the other three percent of delivery cases, it is possible for a person to experience a breech delivery. In normal deliveries, babies are born coming out headfirst (cephalic presentation). In a breech delivery, the baby is turned so that the feet are in position to come out first (footling breech), or the buttocks are in position to come out first (frank breech) or the knees are bent and the buttocks are in position to come out first (complete breech). When the baby is in any of these positions, it can cause serious complications.
Some of the complications that can occur include the umbilical cord becoming wrapped around the baby’s neck so the baby is strangled on the way out. If the baby’s head becomes trapped inside the birth canal, then the baby can incur serious brain damage or head trauma.
When your physician realizes that the baby is in the breech position, established medical standards dictate making every effort to turn the baby into the normal head down position for delivery. If this is not possible, a caesarian section (C-section) should be performed.
Breech deliveries are not that common since proper monitoring with ultrasound and internal examinations typically allows doctors to identify and rectify the situation before the mother even enters the delivery room. If your physician fails to diagnose that your baby is in the breech position or fails to perform a C-section promptly when needed, your doctor may be liable for injuries that you and your baby suffer. If you or your newborn baby suffered injuries due to the negligence of the medical staff and your doctor to properly diagnose a breech position or to fail to perform a C-section, then you may be able to hold them legally and financially responsible for this wrongdoing.
A breech delivery is not something that is within a mother’s power to control. Sometimes having an abnormal pelvis, uterus or abdominal wall shape or size causes them. In other cases, it can be related to genetics. Whatever the cause, the breech position of a baby is straightforward to diagnose so the problem generally should be addressed before the time of birth.
If you or you’re your child have suffered injury which may have been caused by negligence related to your child’s breech position, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries to your or your child. While monetary compensation is not the first priority for a parent whose child has suffered life-long mental or physical problems because of a negligently handled breech birth, children who suffer such injuries may require hundreds of thousands of dollars of additional supportive care.
Put Our Law Firm’s Over 39 Years of Experience to Work For Your Case
The Atlanta birth injury attorneys at Montlick and Associates have been representing families who experience birth-related injuries for over thirty years throughout all of Georgia and the Southeast. No matter where you are located our attorneys are just a phone call away, and we will even come to you. Call us 24 hours a day/7 days a week for your Free Consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED® (1-800-529-6333). You can also visit us online at www.montlick.com and use our Free Case Evaluation Form or 24-hour Live Online Chat.
