Was your baby born paralyzed? Did the doctors use a birth technique or tool that resulted in a head injury or shoulder dystocia? Was your baby getting the required amount of oxygen throughout the birth process?
Unfortunately, not everything goes perfectly well during delivery — we all understand that. But if your baby was born with an injury or defect that leaves you wondering whether the right steps were taken to avoid it, you may have a legitimate claim for medical negligence.
We are the birth injury litigation attorneys of Curtis & Lucero in Albuquerque. We have a successful record of helping families throughout New Mexico recover full and fair money damages they will need to take care of their babies born with birth injuries.
Shoulder dystocia results from a possible cut off of oxygen and blood through the umbilical cord if the baby is not moved through the birth canal quickly. Shoulder dystocia can result in damage to the brachial plexus nerve bundles near the neck, which can leave her or his arm paralyzed. In some cases, the nerve damage is permanent and will require lifelong loss of mobility, requiring ongoing therapy.
Various forms of cerebral palsy (Erb's palsy and Klumpke's palsy) may be caused when the umbilical cord becomes entangled and cuts off oxygen to the brain during the birth process. In most cases of palsy, however, the damage to the brain occurs during the first six months of pregnancy, when the mother caught an infection or suffered low blood pressure that was left undiagnosed and untreated.
Holoprosencephaly results in malformations of the face. The full extent of causes of holoprosencephaly are not fully known, but there is evidence of a higher incidence rate (particularly among baby girls) when the mother suffered a transplacental infection that was undiagnosed and left untreated.
Cephalohematoma is bleeding that takes place in the newborn, between the skull and the thin membrane that covers the bone (periosteum). It is typically caused by instruments used to extract the baby during an obstructed delivery or when the baby is too large for the birth canal. The condition often results in jaundice, anemia and hypotension.
These are just some of the many types of birth injuries to babies that can result when a licensed medical professional is negligent. Whether your baby's injury was the result of improper prenatal diagnosis and treatment, an error in the delivery room or undiagnosed medical condition during neonatal care, your physician or health care facility may be held liable for compensating your family for damages.
Call us at 505-633-7998 or contact our lawyers in Albuquerque by email with a brief overview of your concerns about the medical care your baby received before, during or after delivery. We offer a free consultation and represent clients in birth injury malpractice cases on a contingency fee basis. You will not pay attorney fees if we are unable to help you recover money damages in a settlement or jury award.