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Kentucky Forceps Injury Lawyers
Caring advocacy for parents and newborns when birth injuries are due to medical malpractice
Parents expect the best for their newborns. They want their children to play, learn, and be happy. So, it’s devastating to learn that their newborn has a serious birth injury – and even worse to know that the injury was preventable. At Crandall & Pera Law, our birth injury lawyers work with obstetricians, orthopedists, and other doctors to show that your child’s forceps injuries were due to the improper use of forceps or the failure to use alternatives to forceps. Our Kentucky forceps injury lawyers review the full extent of your child’s injuries and the ways that the injuries will affect every day of their life. We demand full compensation for your child’s medical bills, pain and suffering, and other damages. Call us today to protect your child’s future.
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Table of Contents
- Why do delivery doctors in Kentucky use forceps?
- How do doctors diagnose a forceps injury in Kentucky?
- What types of injuries do forceps cause newborns in Kentucky?
- How do you hold doctors liable for forceps injuries in Kentucky?
- What is the value of my child’s forceps injury case in Kentucky?
- Do you have a Kentucky forceps injury lawyer near me?
Why do delivery doctors in Kentucky use forceps?
The Cleveland Clinic states that forceps are used to help mothers deliver their newborns vaginally when labor alone (pushing) is not sufficient. The delivery doctors use obstetrical forceps “to grasp the baby inside the birth canal” and help guide the baby out. A forceps delivery may help to avoid a Cesarean section (C-section).
How do doctors diagnose a forceps injury in Kentucky?
Some of the factors that favor the use of forceps are:
- The mother’s health limits her ability to push
- The baby’s heart rate suggests that labor is causing stress
- The baby’s heart rate suggests they’re not getting enough oxygen, which can cause many different types of birth injuries
- The mother’s labor is beyond a certain length of time - one to four hours, depending on the mother’s health conditions
Generally, the two procedures obstetricians consider to continue a vaginal delivery are the use of forceps and the use of vacuum extractors – but only if the baby is at least halfway through the birth canal and the delivery team knows what the baby’s position is. Otherwise, a C-section is indicated.
Choosing forceps vs. vacuum extractors
The decision whether to use a forceps delivery or a vacuum extraction delivery typically depends on the delivery doctor’s experience and training with each procedure. The use of forceps requires more skill and is less common – though there are some cases where this tool can perform when a vacuum extraction will not work. According to the Cleveland Clinic:
While vacuum extraction requires your baby to be head-first and not rotated, forceps can deliver a breech baby (feet first). Forceps can be used to help rotate your baby into a better position for delivery. They also have a higher overall success rate than vacuum extraction.
Forceps do often require more anesthesia.
Just .5 percent of vaginal births use forceps, while 2.6 percent of vaginal births use vacuum extraction. The rate of C-section deliveries is almost 30 percent.
Some of the factors that suggest a forceps delivery is not advisable include:
- The mother isn’t fully dilated
- The baby is more than six weeks premature
- The baby is leading with their arms through the birth canal
- The baby is bleeding or has a bone disorder
- The baby doesn’t seem like he/she can fit through the birth canal
Generally, the delivery doctors should obtain informed consent before the delivery process begins. Informed consent means that the mother understands the advantages and dangers of a forceps delivery.
There are many specific procedures and tools for a forceps delivery. The doctors may break the mother’s water (if it hasn’t broken) and drain her bladder with a catheter if needed to give the baby more room in the birth canal. An episiotomy incision may be used to provide more room for the forceps.
Delivery forceps are ergonomically designed for both you and your baby. The blades are curved at the ends to cradle the shape of your baby’s head and curved along their length to accommodate the shape of your pelvis. There are also different types of forceps to accommodate different circumstances, including breech and rotated babies.
There are many other steps your delivery doctors need to take to be sure your baby is in the proper position and to properly balance your pushing with the use of the forceps. The delivery team should know when the forceps are no longer necessary.
What types of injuries do forceps cause newborns in Kentucky?
If your doctors perform a forceps delivery instead of other procedures or perform the forceps delivery improperly, both the mother and child may suffer injuries, including the following:
Injuries to the mother
- Vaginal tears of the mother. These may include tears of the muscle or the wall of the rectum.
- Problems with urinating or urinary incontinence after delivery – especially if there are vaginal tears.
- Pelvic organ prolapse, which can cause the uterus to sag out of position.
Other injuries to the mother due to forceps malpractice may include blood clots, bladder injuries, a ruptured uterus, and anal sphincter injuries.
Injuries to the baby
- Surface wounds of the face or head. These wounds should heal within a few days.
- Temporary facial nerve palsy. This injury can cause your baby’s face to droop and muscles to weaken.
- Skull fractures. Your baby’s skull is soft and can injure easily. While many fractures may heal on their own, your baby may need surgery.
- Bleeding in the skull. This type of birth injury can be quite serious.
Other injuries to the baby due to forceps malpractice may include jaundice, seizures, cerebral palsy, and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.
How do you hold doctors liable for forceps injuries in Kentucky?
At Crandall & Pera, our birth injury lawyers work with OB/GYNs and other physicians to show why mothers and babies suffer forceps injuries and why the delivery doctors and hospital should be held accountable. We have the experience and skills to show that forceps injuries involve the following types of medical malpractice:
- Failing to obtain an informed consent
- Failing to understand the risk factors that contribute to the need to use forceps during a delivery
- Failing to monitor the health of the mother and baby during the delivery
- Failing to use other medically preferable options, such as vacuum extractors or a C-section
- Not performing the forceps delivery according to acceptable medical standards
- Not performing the forceps delivery at the correct time
- Ceasing the use of forceps too late
- Not monitoring the health of the mother and baby after the delivery
- Not using the correct medical instruments
What is the value of my child’s forceps injury case in Kentucky?
Our Kentucky forceps delivery lawyers review the injuries your newborn or you (the mother) have, what medical care is necessary, and how the injuries affect every part of your baby’s or your life. We demand compensation for all the reasonably necessary financial costs and personal damages, including:
- Medical expenses
- Physical pain
- Emotional suffering
- Loss of bodily function
- Inability to enjoy life’s pleasures
- Loss of income to care for your child or the mother
If the forceps delivery is fatal, we file a wrongful death claim on behalf of the surviving family members.
Do you have a Kentucky forceps injury lawyer near me?
Yes. At Crandall & Pera, we meet parents and their newborns at our Lexington, Kentucky office located at 201 E Main St., Suite 530. If your child’s forceps injuries are too severe for your child to come to our office, we can make alternate arrangements to consult with you. We also discuss cases by phone and through online video consultations.
Our lawyers have helped many parents like you. We’re prepared to fight for all the compensation you and your child deserve.
Contact our respected Kentucky birth injury lawyers now
At Crandall & Pera Law, we understand just how traumatic it is to learn your newborn’s life will have significant physical, emotional, and developmental challenges. Our Kentucky forceps injury lawyers are seasoned trial lawyers. We can guide you through each step of your claim, from the initial interview and investigation of what happened through the settlement discussions and a jury trial if your case does not settle for a just and fair amount. Please call our lawyers or use our contact form to schedule a free consultation. We handle forceps birth injury cases on a contingency fee basis.