When preventable medical mistakes occur during labor and delivery, families can be left facing overwhelming emotional and financial challenges. One of the most serious birth injuries that can occur is a spinal cord injury during childbirth. These injuries can lead to permanent disabilities, extensive medical treatment, and lifelong care needs.
When healthcare providers fail to follow accepted standards of care and a newborn suffers a spinal cord injury, parents may have legal options to pursue compensation and hold the responsible parties accountable.
The experienced Oklahoma City birth injury attorneys at Maples Harrison Zeaman PLLC can review your case and advise you about your options for seeking compensation.
What Is a Spinal Cord Birth Injury?
A spinal cord birth injury occurs when damage is inflicted on a baby’s spinal cord during labor or delivery. The spinal cord is responsible for transmitting signals between the brain and the rest of the body. Even minor damage can interfere with movement, sensation, and bodily functions.
Newborns are particularly vulnerable because their bones, muscles, and connective tissues are not yet fully developed. Depending on the severity of the injury, a child may experience temporary impairments or permanent paralysis.
How Can a Spinal Cord Injury Occur During Childbirth?
In the delivery room, errors in judgment or execution made by healthcare providers can cause serious harm. When these mistakes occur, families may have grounds to investigate whether delivery room negligence contributed to the injury.
Major causes of spinal cord injuries include:
- Excessive traction or pulling during delivery
- Improper use of forceps
- Improper use of vacuum extractors
- Failure to perform a timely cesarean section
- Breech delivery complications
- Shoulder dystocia complications
- Excessive twisting of the baby’s neck or spine
- Failure to properly monitor labor complications
- Delayed emergency intervention
When Delivery Room Errors Lead to Spinal Cord Injuries
Certain delivery-room mistakes can create unnecessary risks for the child.
- Excessive Force During Delivery. When a baby becomes stuck in the birth canal, healthcare providers must carefully manage the situation. Pulling too aggressively on the baby’s head, neck, or shoulders can place dangerous stress on the spinal cord.
- Improper Use of Forceps. Forceps require significant skill and precision. Improper placement or excessive pressure can cause trauma to the baby’s head, neck, and spinal structures.
- Improper Use of Vacuum Extractors. Vacuum extractors must be used according to strict medical guidelines. Multiple failed extraction attempts or excessive force can increase the risk of serious injury.
- Failure to Recognize Fetal Distress. Fetal monitoring is designed to alert providers when a baby may be experiencing oxygen deprivation or other complications.
- Delayed Emergency Cesarean Section. Certain labor complications require immediate surgical delivery. Delays in performing an emergency C-section can allow dangerous conditions to worsen, increasing the likelihood of serious birth injuries.
What Are the Long-Term Consequences of a Spinal Cord Birth Injury?
Delivery room spinal cord injuries may require extensive medical treatment and ongoing support throughout a child’s life. Potential long-term consequences include:
- Partial paralysis
- Complete paralysis
- Loss of motor function
- Muscle weakness
- Chronic pain
- Developmental delays
- Limited mobility
- Respiratory complications
- Loss of bladder or bowel control
- Dependence on assistive devices
How Can Spinal Cord Birth Injuries Affect Families?
The impact of a serious birth injury extends far beyond the child alone. Parents often face significant challenges, including:
Ongoing Medical Expenses
The costs can quickly reach hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars over a lifetime. Children with spinal cord injuries may require:
- Hospitalizations
- Surgeries
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Rehabilitation services
- Medical equipment
- Home modifications
Lost Income
Many parents must reduce work hours or leave their jobs entirely to care for an injured child.
Emotional Stress
The emotional burden of caring for a child with permanent disabilities can be overwhelming. Families often experience anxiety, grief, uncertainty, and caregiver burnout.
Future Care Planning
Parents may need to establish long-term plans for housing, transportation, education, and medical care that accommodate their child’s disability.
When Does a Birth Injury Become Medical Malpractice?
To establish birth trauma malpractice, a family generally must prove that a healthcare provider owed a duty of care, failed to meet accepted medical standards, and that this failure directly caused the injury. They must also show that the child suffered damages as a result, such as medical expenses, disability, pain and suffering, or other long-term consequences.
Medical malpractice cases often focus on whether another reasonably competent healthcare provider would have acted differently under similar circumstances. An experienced birth injury lawyer can evaluate whether the facts support a claim for medical negligence.
Examples of potential may include:
- Using excessive force during delivery
- Misusing delivery instruments
- Failing to recognize complications
- Delaying necessary treatment
- Ignoring fetal distress
- Failing to perform a timely C-section
Who Can Be Held Liable for a Spinal Cord Birth Injury?
Multiple parties may be responsible when a preventable birth injury occurs. Determining liability often requires a thorough investigation of medical records and expert review.
Liable parties may include:
- Obstetricians. Doctors who manage labor and delivery may be liable if their decisions or actions caused the injury.
- Nurses. Labor and delivery nurses play a critical role in monitoring both mother and baby. Failure to identify or communicate concerns may contribute to liability.
- Hospitals. Hospitals may be held liable when systemic problems contribute to patient harm during labor and delivery. Examples include inadequate staffing, poor training, unsafe policies, failure to properly supervise employees, and credentialing healthcare providers who are not qualified to provide appropriate care.
- Medical Groups. Healthcare organizations and physician groups may also bear responsibility in certain situations.
How Can a Birth Injury Lawyer Help?
Because spinal cord injuries often require lifelong care, accurately assessing future damages is critical to protecting a child’s future. An experienced birth injury lawyer can:
- Investigate the circumstances surrounding the delivery
- Obtain and review medical records
- Consult medical experts
- Identify responsible parties
- Calculate future damages
- Negotiate with insurance companies
- Prepare the case for trial if necessary
Speak With a Trusted Birth Injury Lawyer in OKC
The attorneys at Maples Harrison Zeaman PLLC have extensive experience handling complex medical malpractice and birth injury cases. Our firm represents families throughout Oklahoma City and across the state.
If you believe your child’s spinal cord injury may have been caused by birth trauma malpractice, call (405) 705-5050 to discuss your legal options and learn how we may be able to help your family pursue the compensation needed for your child’s future.
FAQs About Delivery Room Spinal Cord Injuries
What causes a spinal cord injury during childbirth?
A spinal cord injury during childbirth may occur when excessive force is used during delivery, delivery instruments are misused, or medical providers fail to respond appropriately to complications such as shoulder dystocia or fetal distress. In some cases, delayed emergency interventions can also contribute to serious spinal cord damage.
Can a spinal cord birth injury be caused by medical negligence?
Yes. If healthcare providers fail to follow accepted medical standards during labor and delivery and their actions cause a spinal cord injury, the family may have grounds for a birth trauma malpractice claim.
What are the long-term effects of a newborn spinal cord injury?
The effects can range from muscle weakness and limited mobility to partial or complete paralysis. Some children may require lifelong medical care, rehabilitation, assistive devices, home modifications, and ongoing support services.
What compensation is available in a newborn spinal cord injury claim?
Families may be able to recover compensation for medical expenses, future treatment costs, rehabilitation, specialized equipment, home modifications, lost income, pain and suffering, and other damages related to the child’s injury.
