Medical negligence and birth injuries

Each year thousands of births are carried out without any complication to either child or mother. However, pregnancy and childbirth do hold with them a certain level of risk and some mothers and babies suffer personal injury.

Obstetrics is the branch of medicine that governs the care of women during their pregnancy and throughout the birth of their baby. Someone who works in this field is duty bound to supervise the pregnancy and monitor any potentially damaging conditions.

It is not just obstetricians that are responsible for the welfare of a mother and her child. There are a whole range of people that may be involved in the care of a pregnant woman, including midwives, nurses and other medical practitioners.

Unfortunately, a small number of these staff may fail in their protective duty of care and cause injury, which in some cases can amount to medical negligence.

Injuries to mothers
One of the most common personal injuries that mothers can suffer as a result of medical negligence during a birth is incorrect stitching following an episiotomy. This is a procedure that allows extra room for the baby to ease delivery. If this wound is not correctly stitched, it can cause a great deal of pain and discomfort to the mother.

Another possible effect of medical negligence on mothers who have just given birth is if a vaginal tear is missed or if the extent of it is misjudged. Normally, vaginal tears are stitched under local anaesthesia using sutures which dissolve over time. However, if the tear is not investigated and dealt with properly, it can lead to further pain and suffering, as well as other possible complications.

Other possible medical negligence cases of personal injury to new mothers include failing to diagnose or manage pre-eclampsia, failure to carry out a timely Caesarean section, and failing to control infections.

Injuries to babies
Babies, both premature and full-term, are delicate and can easily be injured if too much force is used. Excessive force can cause a condition known as Erb's palsy, which occurs when too much pressure has been exerted on the child's neck or head during the birth. Erb's palsy is one type of brachial plexus injury and is characterised by little or no control over one arm.

Cerebral palsy affects thousands of children in the UK. Around 10% of those with the condition have it as a direct result of brain damage during birth. Medical negligence can play a major part in this brain damage, which is usually sustained as a result of oxygen deprivation during a traumatic birth. Symptoms of cerebral palsy are usually centred around poor motor functions.

Other birth injuries that can arise from medical negligence include other types of brachial plexus injury and fractures to the arm, shoulder or collarbone.

Making a medical negligence claim
If you or a family member has been affected by medical negligence during pregnancy or childbirth, we may be able to help you. We offer a service that allows you to claim personal injury compensation for the pain and suffering you have experienced, as well as any other losses the injury has caused.

We understand that many people who have been affected by medical negligence still feel upset or distressed by the experience, even years after it occurred. Some of our customers find it difficult to talk about what has happened but we treat all of our customers with exemplary compassion and respect to make the process as stress-free as possible. Read more about the medical negligence claim process.

Our panel of personal injury solicitors have specialist expertise of medical negligence claims and have helped many other people in the UK to claim compensation after a clinical error. They are successful in the vast majority of the cases that they handle, which is testament to their exceptional skill and determination.

If you would like to discuss your experience with us and find out if you can make a claim for medical negligence compensation, please chat to us online, send us a call back request, fill in an online claim form or telephone us on 0800 10 757 95. Our telephone line is open 24 hours a day and is completely free so you can contact us whenever is most convenient for you.