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Kentucky Vacuum Extractor Delivery Injuries
Compassionate representation when obstetricians and hospitals commit medical malpractice
Obstetricians and hospitals should anticipate that a baby may need assistance when a mother’s second stage of labor isn’t progressing properly. At Crandall & Pera Law, our birth injury lawyers hold medical providers when they delay the use of vacuum extractors, use vacuum extractors improperly, or fail to consider safer and more reliable alternatives. Our Kentucky vacuum extractor lawyers have the experience and working relationships to show why your doctors committed medical malpractice during your child’s delivery and what damages they should pay for your child’s injuries, including all medical bills and pain and suffering. Call us today to protect your child’s future.
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Table of Contents
- Why do delivery doctors in Kentucky use vacuum extractors?
- What factors suggest the use of vacuum extraction?
- What factors suggest that vacuum extraction should be stopped?
- What types of injuries do vacuum extractors cause newborns in Kentucky?
- How do you hold doctors accountable for vacuum extractor injuries in Kentucky?
- What is the value of my child’s vacuum extractor claim in Kentucky?
- Do you have a Kentucky vacuum extractor injury lawyer near me?
Why do delivery doctors in Kentucky use vacuum extractors?
The Cleveland Clinic states that vacuum extraction is a way to help your baby exit the birth canal during the second stage of labor when pushing alone isn’t working. A vacuum extraction “applies suction and traction to the baby’s head to help pull it out” while the mother pushes. Vacuum extraction is only recommended in rare cases when the labor isn’t progressing or is taking too long.
“The vacuum extractor consists of a suction cup attached to a mechanical or electric pump. The cup is applied to your baby’s head, and the pump provides traction to pull while you push.”
Another assisted delivery method is the use of forceps. Another more common alternative that delivery doctors should consider is the use of a Cesarean section (C-section).
About 2.5 percent of vaginal births use the vacuum extraction method.
What factors suggest the use of vacuum extraction?
At Crandall & Pera Law, we review with our network of physicians whether vacuum extraction was medically advisable in the birth of your child. Some of the factors that favor vacuum extraction include:
- Labor is lengthy or not progressing in the second stage (when the baby enters the world), and
- The heart rate of your baby is considered “non-reassuring” or
- The mother can't push anymore due to fatigue or a health condition.
“Non-reassuring” means that the baby has an abnormal fetal heart rate, which indicates the baby isn’t getting enough oxygen during labor. “It’s normal for oxygen to be restricted temporarily during labor, but if it goes on for too long, it’s dangerous to the health of the baby.” An abnormal heart rate includes the following:
- Abnormally high heart rate
- Abnormally low heart rate
- There is a pattern of abrupt decreases
- It takes more time than it should to return to the baseline rate following a contraction
Before using vacuum extraction, our Kentucky vacuum extraction delivery lawyers review whether the delivery doctors examined the following options:
- Giving the mother oxygen through a mask
- Giving the mother fluids through her arm
- Repositioning the mother
What factors indicate that vacuum extraction should not be performed or stopped?
Generally, doctors should avoid vacuum extraction if:
- A baby is premature
- The baby is too large to fit through the birth canal
- The baby is not in a headfirst position
- The progression through the birth canal is too slow
- The baby should be rotated
- The baby has a bleeding disorder
According to the Cleveland Clinic, delivery doctors should abandon vacuum extraction if the cup detaches from the baby’s head multiple times, the extraction is not working after trying for 20 minutes, or there are indications the baby’s scalp is injured.
Once the vacuum extraction is complete, your doctor should examine both the mother and child for tears, wounds, or other injuries – generally, for at least ten hours.
What types of injuries do vacuum extractors cause newborns in Kentucky?
There are risks that the obstetrics teams should review with mothers beforehand (for planned pregnancies) and should assess during labor.
Injuries to the mother
The risks to the mother include vaginal tears, postpartum bleeding, and urinary difficulties or urinary incontinence.
Injuries to the baby
Some of the short-term injuries your newborn may suffer due to vacuum extraction include:
- Jaundice/bruising. Bruising of the scalp increases the risk of neonatal jaundice - a “temporary yellowing of the baby’s skin due to increased bilirubin from the breakdown of red blood cells” that usually resolves in a few weeks.
- Caput succedaneum. This condition, also known as scalp edema, is a “swelling of the scalp that can produce a cone-headed appearance” that should resolve in a few days.
- This blood vessel damage condition should resolve in a week or two.
More serious complications include the following:
- A skull fracture. Babies have soft skulls that can injure easily. While many skull fractures heal on their own, more severe skull fractures may require corrective surgery.
- Intracranial hemorrhage. This disorder occurs when there is bleeding in or around the brain. Possible side effects include seizures, brain damage, and apnea.
- Subgaleal hemorrhage. This disorder:
Occurs when the emissary veins in the baby’s head are ruptured and blood accumulates within the connective tissue between the skull and the scalp. Because of the volume of blood that can accumulate there, this condition can cause hemorrhagic shock and death if it’s not identified and treated soon enough. It usually develops gradually over the days following delivery. SGH occurs in roughly .6% of vacuum-assisted .
How do you hold doctors accountable for vacuum extractor injuries in Kentucky?
At Crandall & Pera, our birth injury lawyers work with obstetricians and other doctors to show why vacuum extractors should not have been used or why your doctors used them improperly. Our Kentucky vacuum extractor delivery lawyers work to show delivery doctors commit medical malpractice when they:
- Fail to obtain informed consent
- Do not properly review the risk factors for using vacuum extraction
- Do not properly review the risk factors for NOT using vacuum extraction
- Do not monitor the health of the mother and baby during the delivery
- Fail to consider the use of forceps or a C-section
- Fail to use vacuum extractors in compliance with acceptable medical standards
- Fail to timely abandon the use of vacuum extractors
- Fail to monitor the mother and child after the delivery of the baby
- Fail to follow other acceptable medical standards
What is the value of my child’s vacuum extractor claim in Kentucky?
Our Kentucky vacuum extractor lawyers work with our own network of doctors to determine what injuries your child has, the medical care they will need (including lifetime care if necessary), and every way the vacuum extractor injuries are causing your child physical, emotional, and cognitive harm. Our attorneys demand compensation for all of your child’s damage so far and in the future, including:
- Medical expenses
- Physical pain and emotional suffering
- Loss of bodily function
- Inability to enjoy life’s pleasures
We also seek similar damages when there are maternal injuries.
Additionally, our lawyers file wrongful death claims on behalf of the family members when a baby or mother dies due to vacuum extractor injuries.
Do you have a Kentucky vacuum extractor injury lawyer near me?
Yes. At Crandall & Pera, our lawyers consult with parents and their children at our Lexington, Kentucky office located at 201 E Main St., Suite 530. If your newborn’s vacuum extractor injuries prevent you from coming to our office, we can meet you and your child at your home or a healthcare facility. Our lawyers also consult with clients by phone and through online video discussions.
We’re prepared to be your voice and advocate during this difficult time. We’ve helped many medical malpractice victims like you obtain strong recoveries.
Talk with our accomplished Kentucky birth injury lawyers today
At Crandall & Pera Law, our lawyers are respected by former clients, insurance carriers, and defense lawyers for our dedication to our clients, our persuasive advocacy, and our record of strong verdicts and settlements in medical malpractice cases. Our Kentucky vacuum extractor lawyers have the experience to anticipate and contest the arguments doctors make to deny their responsibility. To assert your right to hold the medical providers who cause your newborn harm, please call our attorneys or use our contact form to schedule a free consultation. We handle vacuum extractor claims on a contingency fee basis.