Shoulder Dystocia
Shoulder dystocia is an obstetric emergency in which after delivery of the baby’s head, the upward – facing shoulder gets “stuck” behind the mother’s pubic bone and will not deliver normally using general downward traction on the baby’s head. Instead, the shoulder retracts into the pelvis (called a “turtle sign”). Once a shoulder dystocia develops, the doctor or the midwife delivering the baby must not use forceful pulling, and the nurse must not use fundal pressure (pressure on the mother’s abdomen just below the breastbone toward the pelvis). Either of these maneuvers pushes the trunk of the baby outward while the shoulder cannot follow, and stretches the nerves at the base of the neck supplying the shoulder and arm. This can tear the nerves, resulting in weakness or paralysis, called “Erb’s palsy” or “brachial plexus palsy”. With a shoulder dystocia, it is malpractice to apply firm downward traction on the head or to apply fundal pressure. When shoulder dystocia occurs, it must instead be managed by a series of specific maneuvers to dislodge the shoulder.
Shoulder dystocia sometimes occurs unexpectedly with babies of average size at delivery, but the risk of shoulder dystocia is increased with macrosomia (large babies), and in babies of mothers who have diabetes. Not only does diabetes cause increased weight at delivery, but it also may cause increased width of the shoulders relative to the head, predisposing to shoulder dystocia.
Parents of children with arm paralysis from shoulder dystocia are often told that within months to years, the arm will be normal. Although there may be improvement in cases where nerve injury has been less severe, the paralysis does not go away in more severe cases. Parents are also often incorrectly told that the paralysis happened earlier during the pregnancy and was not due to shoulder dystocia at all. Parents may be completely unaware that shoulder dystocia ever happened.
In consultation with obstetricians, perinatologists, pediatric neurologists, the lawyers at the Sweeney Law Firm will work with medical specialists to determine if malpractice was the cause of your child’s injury. If so, the Sweeney Law Firm may be able to obtain money damages to help pay for medical, physical therapy, rehabilitation expenses as well compensation for your baby’s emotional and physical pain and suffering, permanent disability, loss of quality of life, loss of income and other damages that occur in these types of cases.
Call the Sweeney Law Firm at 260-420-3137 or toll free at 1-866-793-6339. Get answers to your questions. Learn your legal rights. There is no cost or obligation for us to evaluate your case.
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