Minnesota Umbilical Cord Birth Injury Lawyer
The umbilical cord plays a vital role during pregnancy and throughout the birthing process. It delivers oxygen, blood, and important nutrients to a baby while they are still in utero, and even during the birthing process. Injuries to the umbilical cord should always be taken seriously, as they can result in lifelong complications for the child. In the most severe cases, an umbilical cord injury can even result in a stillbirth or a neonatal death.
Umbilical cord injuries are preventable in many cases and are only a result of medical malpractice. If your child has suffered, a Minnesota umbilical cord birth injury lawyer can help you claim compensation to offset the financial burden of the injury.
What are the Most Common Injuries to the Umbilical Cord?
The umbilical cord is crucial to the health of a child, but it can become damaged in a number of ways during pregnancy and delivery. The most common injuries to the umbilical cord are as follows:
- Short umbilical cords
- Infection of the umbilical cord
- True knots
- Blood vessels connecting the placenta and umbilical cord that lie near the birth canal, or cover the opening
- Cord prolapse, when the umbilical cord enters the open cervix before the infant
- Umbilical cord compression
- A cord that wraps all the way around a baby’s neck, a condition known as nuchal cords
Although the above injuries are not usually caused by medical malpractice, doctors and healthcare professionals must know how to respond to them.
When is an Umbilical Cord Birth Injury Caused by Medical Malpractice?
Doctors have a huge responsibility throughout a patient’s pregnancy, and during the birthing process. When they do not take that responsibility seriously and a mother or her child becomes injured, it is considered medical negligence.
Many umbilical cord injuries, or complications that could cause them, can be detected during a pregnancy. For example, an ultrasound could show that the cord has wrapped around a child’s neck. Doctors must monitor pregnant women properly so they can respond to injuries and complications as they arise. Doctors must also know how to identify these problems when they occur and when they do not, it is a case of medical malpractice. Using the same example as above, a doctor may order an ultrasound but fail to recognize that the cord wrapped around the child’s neck.
Doctors must also know how to properly respond to an injury or complication. For example, if an ultrasound shows that the cord has wrapped around a baby’s neck during pregnancy, a doctor may recommend early delivery of the baby. If the injury is not noticed until the birthing process, a doctor must know how to remove the cord before it can tighten, or cut the cord before delivering the child’s shoulders.
Failing to detect and then treating a nuchal cord is just one example of when medical malpractice may contribute to an umbilical cord injury. A Minnesota umbilical cord birth injury lawyer can determine if malpractice has occurred, and hold the appropriate parties liable.
Our Umbilical Cord Birth Injury Lawyer in Minnesota Can Help Your Family
If your child has been hurt due to preventable harm, our Minnesota umbilical cord birth injury lawyer can help. At Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman, LLC, our skilled attorneys are dedicated to helping families after malpractice has occurred, and we will put our experience to work for you. Call us today or contact us online to schedule a free consultation so we can review your case.
