The birth of your child should be the happiest day of your life. Unfortunately, if you think your baby has a birth injury, the day can be memorable in all the wrong ways. A birth injury describes the damage that happens to a baby’s body function or structure before, during, or directly after the birthing process. If you have concerns that your baby has a birth injury, here are a few steps you can take.
Navigating Suspected Birth Injuries
Seek Legal Advice
Finding out a birth injury has occurred can be devastating news to a parent. The severity of a birth injury can vary. Some do not require treatment and may heal within time, others may result in permanent disability. Cerebral palsy is a condition that describes a group of disorders that affects movement in the body. Cerebral palsy caused by traumatic birth is not that uncommon. In fact, studies show that around 70 percent of cerebral palsy cases are a result of a birth injury. If you think your baby has suffered cerebral palsy caused by birth injury, contact a birth injury attorney to review and make your case. They will evaluate your claim and give you advice about how to proceed.
Listen to Your Doctor
Before and after childbirth, your doctor will give you advice with the aim to maintain and improve the health of your baby. They may suggest various treatments, tests, and consultations with specialists. It is important to listen to your doctor and follow their advice. All suggestions from your doctor should be medically verifiable and given in the best interest of you and your baby. If you go against the advice of your doctor and your baby has a birth injury, it may have a negative effect on your case should you wish to make a claim down the line.
Keep a Record of Everything
Every single video and picture you have of your baby, and your pregnancy journey, is not only precious to you on a personal level, but it can also serve as evidence for your case. In addition to your own personal documentation, make sure you keep a record of all forms of communication between yourself and medical professionals. Moreover, you should request all records related to hospital visits, any procedures performed, and your baby’s health. There should be no issue retrieving these records, however, you may need to pay a minimal fee.
Write Notes
Keeping a journal and writing notes throughout your entire pregnancy and after childbirth can help you identify moments where negligence may have occurred. Making a note of which medical professionals cared for you and your child may also help your case.
Keep Copies of Your Bills
In the United States, childbirth alone can be expensive. However, extra procedures and tests as a result of birth injuries can be extortionate. You should keep a copy of your bills and anything insurance related. These documents will help you reference the names of healthcare providers, and they will also help you visualize the timeline of each event that has occurred.
