Common Labor and Delivery Mistakes That Lead to Birth Injuries

The day your child is born should be a time of celebration and joy. You place your trust in a medical team of doctors, nurses, and technicians, expecting them to follow established protocols to keep both mother and baby safe. Unfortunately, medical errors during labor and delivery are more common than many realize. When a preventable mistake occurs, the consequences can last a lifetime.

At Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C., we have seen firsthand how a single moment of negligence can change a family’s future. If your child suffered an injury during birth, it is natural to have questions about what went wrong and who is responsible.

What Are the Most Common Mistakes During Delivery?

Most birth injuries are not the result of a single “accident” but rather a series of preventable oversights.

Here are the most frequent labor and delivery mistakes that lead to long-term harm:

1. Failure to Monitor and Respond to Fetal Distress

The fetal heart rate monitor is the most important tool in the delivery room. It tells the medical team how the baby is handling the stress of labor.

• The Mistake: Ignoring signs of fetal distress, such as a heart rate that is too fast (tachycardia) or too slow (bradycardia).
• The Result: If a baby’s oxygen supply is compromised, they can develop Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE), a type of brain damage caused by oxygen deprivation.

2. Delayed Order for a Cesarean Section (C-Section)

When labor isn’t progressing, or the baby is in distress, an emergency C-section is often the only way to prevent injury.

• The Mistake: Waiting too long to call for a C-section or failing to recognize that a vaginal delivery is no longer safe.
• The Result: Minutes matter. A delay can lead to permanent brain damage or physical trauma to the infant.

3. Misuse of Forceps or Vacuum Extractors

Sometimes, a doctor uses assistive tools to help guide the baby through the birth canal.

• The Mistake: Using excessive force or improper technique with these tools.
• The Result: This can cause skull fractures, brain bleeds, or Erb’s Palsy (nerve damage in the shoulder and arm).

At Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C., our birth injury attorneys frequently help families whose children have suffered from the improper use of delivery instruments.

4. Improper Administration of Labor-Inducing Drugs

Drugs like Pitocin are commonly used to speed up labor.

• The Mistake: Administering too much Pitocin or failing to stop the medication when contractions become too frequent.
• The Result: Excessive contractions can cut off oxygen to the baby and, in rare cases, cause a uterine rupture in the mother.

5. Failure to Diagnose and Treat Maternal Infections

Infections like Group B strep or urinary tract infections in the mother can be passed to the baby during birth.

• The Mistake: Failing to screen the mother or failing to provide antibiotics during labor.
• The Result: The baby can develop sepsis, meningitis, or pneumonia, all of which can lead to neurological damage.

6. Mismanagement of the Umbilical Cord

The umbilical cord is the baby’s lifeline.

• The Mistake: Failing to detect a prolapsed cord (where the cord exits before the baby) or a nuchal cord (cord wrapped around the neck).
• The Result: These conditions can quickly lead to total oxygen deprivation and stillbirth or severe HIE if not addressed immediately.

Why Do Labor and Delivery Mistakes Happen?

Labor and delivery are high-pressure environments. While many complications are natural, medical professionals are trained to anticipate, identify, and react to these challenges. Negligence usually occurs when a healthcare provider fails to uphold the “standard of care”, the level of care that a similarly trained professional would have provided under the same circumstances.

Each year, thousands of babies in the United States are affected by birth injuries. Studies estimate that about 6 to 8 out of every 1,000 births involve some form of birth injury, according to medical data reported by Medscape.

Common reasons for these errors include:

• Understaffing: Hospitals that do not have enough nurses to monitor every laboring mother.
• Communication Breakdowns: Vital information is not being passed between shift changes or from nurses to doctors.
• Inadequate Training: Staff who are not proficient in reading fetal heart rate monitors.
• Fatigue: Doctors and nurses working excessively long shifts, leading to lapsed judgment.

How Can a Birth Injury Impact Your Family’s Future?

A birth injury is not just a medical diagnosis; it is a life-altering event for the entire family. The “How” of birth injuries involves understanding the long-term trajectory of care.

You may be dealing with challenges like these:

• Physical and Developmental Challenges:  Children with birth injuries may face delays in reaching milestones like sitting up, crawling, or speaking. They may require lifelong physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech therapy. In cases of severe brain damage, they may need 24-hour nursing care.
• The Financial Burden:  The financial impact is staggering. Between specialized medical equipment, home modifications like ramps, and loss of income for parents who must become full-time caregivers, the costs accumulate quickly.
• Emotional Toll: The emotional weight of knowing your child’s injury could have been prevented is heavy. Parents often experience guilt, anxiety, and grief. Seeking justice isn’t just about the money; it’s about holding the responsible parties accountable and ensuring your child has the resources they need to thrive.

What Should You Do If You Suspect Medical Negligence?

If you believe a mistake was made during your child’s delivery, you should not wait to take action. Pennsylvania law has specific timelines (statutes of limitations) for filing birth injury claims.

1. Request Full Medical Records: You have a right to the complete records of the labor and delivery for both mother and child.
2. Keep a Detailed Journal: Document your child’s developmental milestones and any medical issues you notice.
3. Seek a Second Medical Opinion: Consult with pediatric specialists who can provide an unbiased assessment of your child’s condition.
4. Consult a Knowledgeable Legal Team: Birth injury cases are incredibly complex. A birth injury lawyer can help assist you against large hospital systems and insurance companies.

Speak With Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. About Your Child’s Birth Injury

If you believe your child was harmed during labor or delivery, it’s important to understand what happened and what you can do next.

At Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C., our team includes a medical doctor and a nurse who are also attorneys. This helps us review medical records with a deeper level of understanding. We can identify where mistakes may have occurred and explain your options in plain terms.

You don’t have to figure this out on your own.

We know how stressful this situation can be. Our team is here to listen, answer your questions, and help you take the next step with confidence. We handle birth injury cases on a contingency fee basis, so you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.

Contact us today to schedule your free consultation. Let’s talk about how we can help protect your child’s future.