Arizona Medical Malpractice Attorneys for Victims of Birth Trauma
The term birth trauma refers to the many ways in which a baby can be injured during the process of childbirth. It runs the gamut from fetal asphyxia, to shoulder dystocia, to cerebral hemorrhage. While some birth trauma is not the fault of anyone, other birth trauma may be the result of medical negligence on the part of the attending obstetrician, residents or the nursing staff.
The most common form of medical negligence during the labor and delivery process involves a failure to recognize a developing problem and to respond appropriately. There are many potential problems for which the obstetrician and the nurses must be on the alert. Often when a baby is born depressed and with low Apgar scores, a review of the fetal heart monitor strips shows that the baby was in trouble for some time before finally being delivered but the doctor and the nurses failed to recognize it or failed to properly react to it.
Nursing Malpractice in Birth Trauma Cases
Nurses are the eyes and ears of the obstetrician. They are required to make sure that the doctor knows what is happening with the labor, the condition of the mother and the condition of the baby. Nurses are also supposed to be advocates for their patient and the baby. This means that they must make sure that the doctor appropriately responds to problems. If the doctor does not appropriately respond, the nurses are required to go to their supervisors and get the help the mother and baby need. Nurses must also be able to evaluate the status of the baby as shown on the fetal heart monitor strips.
Obstetrical Malpractice in Birth Trauma Cases
An obstetrician is trained to recognize problems in the labor and delivery of a baby. He or she must be able to evaluate the progress the mother is making toward delivery and the status of the baby in responding to the stresses of the labor and delivery process. If the mother fails to progress or if the baby becomes distressed, the obstetrician must be able to recognize this and respond appropriately.
Contact Our Phoenix, Arizona Medical Malpractice Law Firm for Claims Involving Birth Trauma
Contact us at (602) 648-3200 about any medical negligence that a loved one may have experienced anywhere in Arizona involving birth trauma. Consultations are free and confidential.
