Birth Injuries Aren’t Limited To Babies

While many people have heard of babies suffering from terrible birth injuries that affect them throughout their lives, in reality, it isn’t just children who are affected by birth injuries, but also millions of women each year, and these birth injuries tend to go completely undiagnosed and untreated.

Your child going through fetal distress that results in injuries to their brain and/or body can affect them for a lifetime. As a result, some are unable to walk, and are physically and mentally impaired forever. They can also experience a shortened lifespan as a result.

Yet many do not realize that mothers can suffer as well: For example, often women who suffer from tears during childbirth are sent home as though nothing happened, only to find out—years later—that entire muscles and even organs have shut down.

Statistics Show That Mothers Frequently Suffer Silently

Childbirth, in general, is no easy process; in fact, it has been likened to running a marathon. Many women suffer quietly from incontinence, pelvic pain, backaches, and other ailments for years afterward because of undiagnosed childbirth injuries. In fact, one study reported that 24 percent of women experienced pain during sex a year and half after having a baby; another found that close to 80 percent experience persistent back pain, and 50 percent urinary incontinence. Yet another study found that close to 30 percent of women had evidence of fractures in their pubic bones that went completely undetected. And these injuries aren’t just limited to vaginal deliveries: one study found similar issues for those mothers who had cesarean sections.

The problem may lie in the medical training: obstetricians and gynecologists aren’t typically trained to evaluate pelvic muscles or nerves. For example, the six-week checkup for women who have just given birth is geared towards completely bypassing the nerves and muscles that could be suffering from serious issues and instead going straight to evaluating the cervix and uterus. Other training is typically focused on life-threatening complications–such as infection–instead of the many other painful problems that could last a lifetime.

$53 Million Dollar Birth Injury Verdict

Recently, one family was awarded $53 million after medical staff failed to provide supervision or any follow-up while in labor. During this time, the baby went into fetal distress, resulting in injuries to his brain. As a result, twelve years later, he is still unable to walk or speak, and will likely remain mentally and physically impaired for the rest of his life; a life that will also be shorter due to his injuries.

We hear of stories like this, but rarely do they address any of the many medical issues that the child’s mother also likely suffered as a result of being neglected during childbirth. This is a serious issue that must also be addressed in looking at medical malpractice and birth injuries.

Experienced Birth Injury Lawyers

At Friedland & Associates, our experienced Fort Lauderdale birth injury lawyers have years of experience litigating cases on behalf of injured children and mothers. We work with countless specialists who comprehend all of the many complications that can be involved in cases like these.

If you or your child has been injured during the birth process as the result of negligence or even intentional conduct, you will likely need to obtain compensation necessary to last comfortably throughout your lifetime. Contact our office today to obtain additional information or set up a free consultation.

Resources:

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1471-0528.13263/abstract

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4471341/

ajog.org/article/S0002-9378%2815%2900450-0/abstract

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4380006/