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Complex Birth Injury Cases Involving Skull Fracture
The fetal skull is fragile and the bones comprising it are not completely fused at birth, making it very susceptible to fracture. A skull fracture can be caused by trauma, by the head being forced against the pubic bone during labor, or by negligent use of instruments or other procedures during labor and childbirth. Depressive skull fracture in childbirth puts pressure on the brain, and can lead to brain injury and permanent disability.
Medical professionals must, therefore, exercise great care to prevent skull fractures from occurring, especially when using instruments such as forceps or vacuum extractors.
Crandall & Pera Law's team of skilled attorneys and registered nurses has helped numerous families whose children sustained these serious injuries. We evaluate our clients' cases not just with legal expertise, but also with sympathetic understanding. Our lawyers' past experience defending medical malpractice cases places them in a strong position when it comes to anticipating issues likely to arise in a courtroom and staying on offensive rather than defense.
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How Can Skull Fractures Happen During Delivery?
Although fetal skull fractures sometimes have natural causes, they are, more often than not, the result of medical negligence during labor and/or birth. The most common reasons for fetal skull fractures include:
- Negligent use of instruments such as obstetric forceps and vacuum extractors.
- Cephalopelvic disproportion (CPD), a condition in which a baby's head is too large to fit through the birth canal, is not diagnosed timely. When labor begins, the fetal skull is crushed against the mother's pelvic bone. In CPD the safest delivery for mother and baby is always a C-section.
- Cephalohematoma, a condition in which blood accumulates under the fetal scalp, is undiagnosed. As the area between the scalp and the skull fills with blood, pressure causes the skull to fracture and the brain to damage.
Skull fractures may also result from the effects of maternal disease on the processes of labor and birth. An incomplete or incorrect medical history can leave a doctor unaware of conditions that are likely to cause birth complications like fetal skull fracture.
Long-Term Effects Of Fetal Skull Fracture
Even minor fractures, especially when depressed, can cause intracranial bleeding, increased intracranial pressure and brain damage. These may cause seizures or stroke-like paralysis, or loss of function that can be fatal. Brain injury at birth can also lead to crippling cognitive and physical disabilities in childhood. The financial strain on the family because of treatment and specialized education costs is often devastating.
Crandall & Pera Law has helped families throughout Ohio whose children have sustained birth injuries. Our team of registered nurses and medical malpractice lawyers has secured millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for past clients.
Comprehensive Legal Counsel For Your Family
We place a special emphasis on birth injuries, and we have helped families throughout the region. Our team will go the extra mile to obtain fair compensation for you when a child requires costly, specialized treatment and education because of medical malpractice at birth.
Please call or fill out our contact form to reserve a consultation with an experienced Ohio birth injury lawyer. We have offices conveniently located in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Lexington and several other cities.