Every year, hundreds of babies are born in greater Philadelphia without any complications. But for a few Philadelphia families, birth injuries take away some of the happiness and excitement they feel about a new baby. A birth injury is any injury the child sustains during the birthing process because of medical mistakes. A genetic problem is not a birth injury, but if the baby is hurt by misuse of forceps, failure to monitor vital signs or other mistakes by doctors and nurses, that baby and his or her family should consider calling a Philadelphia injury lawyer.

The most serious birth injuries have to do with damage to the baby’s brain. Before birth, babies “breathe” through the umbilical cord. If that cord is compressed for more than a few moments during the birth, the child can be deprived of oxygen, resulting in brain damage or cerebral palsy, a lifelong condition causing physical or mental disabilities. Another common cause of birth injuries is overuse of forceps and vacuum extraction tools. These can cause physical damage when used too harshly on the baby’s skull. Forceps can also lead to brachial plexus injuries, which can leave the baby’s arm partially or fully disabled, a condition called Erb’s palsy.

Alert medical professionals can discover and respond to many of these problems, with the careful use of monitoring and management of high-risk pregnancies. But when doctors fail to take basic precautions and children are injured before their lives even begin, families should consider a birth injury claim. The Philadelphia injury lawyers at Rosenbaum & Associates have extensive experience in birth injuries and other forms of medical malpractice. To tell us your story or learn more about how we can help, call today.

At Rosenbaum & Associates, we offer free consultations, so potential clients can ask us about the strength and value of their cases with no further obligation or charge. You are always welcome to contact us online or call us toll–free at 1–800–753–4257. To reach our downtown Philadelphia office from the west or northwest, take the Schuylkill Expressway (Interstate 76) to the Vine Street Expressway (Interstate 676) east and exit at the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Continue into the traffic circle, exit at 19th Street and turn left onto Market Street. From the east and New Jersey, take Interstate 95 to Interstate 676 west, take the Broad Street exit downtown and merge onto 15th Street. Turn right at John F. Kennedy Boulevard, left onto 17th Street and left onto Market Street. For those using public transit, our office is also very close to Suburban Station.