Today’s pregnant women have many more options to deliver their babies than mothers even 100 years ago. You can often plan your infant’s delivery date well ahead of time instead of waiting for labor to begin naturally. Some tools can be used to assist delivery, and C-section births are also common.
Each delivery option has potential advantages and disadvantages. Your obstetrician should be aware of the pros and cons, as well as the associated risk factors. You should be fully informed because maternal and birth injuries are possible if the wrong method is used. If you or your newborn suffered…
Continue Reading Can I Sue If My OBGYN Chose the Wrong Delivery Option?

May is National Stroke Awareness Month. Many people think that only older people experience strokes. However, even a fetus still in its mother’s womb can have a stroke. Perinatal strokes are those that occur during gestation or up to 28 days after birth. It is estimated that approximately 2,500 U.S. children suffer a perinatal stroke each year. This figure may be low, as perinatal strokes may go undiagnosed.
Damage to a baby’s brain from a stroke can have lifelong, severe effects. When medical negligence contributes to this form of birth injury, parents may be able to obtain compensation. These cases…
Continue Reading Did Medical Negligence Cause My Baby’s Stroke?

The human body needs sufficient iron to produce hemoglobin, which carries oxygen throughout the body through red blood cells. Anemia is a serious condition where the number of hemoglobin or red blood cells is too low. A fetus needs iron to develop properly, and expectant mothers need enough iron to support their own bodies as well as the fetus.
Anemia is a common complication during pregnancy, even if the mother was not anemic before becoming pregnant. In fact, around one-third of pregnant women in the U.S. are affected by anemia. Doctors should know this and be prepared to take appropriate…
Continue Reading Can Undiagnosed or Untreated Maternal Anemia Harm Babies?

Sometimes, doctors can spot birth injuries right after a baby is born. However, some do not reveal themselves immediately. It may take months or years for some symptoms to appear. By that time, you may not associate your child’s issues with a birth injury. Cerebral palsy and brachial plexus injuries are among the most common birth injuries, and it is important for parents to know the signs to watch for.
If you do not discover your child’s birth injuries for years, you may wonder if you can still file a medical malpractice claim seeking compensation. In most instances, you…
Continue Reading How Do I Know If My Baby Has Birth Injuries?

When most people hear the term “birth injuries,” they think about harm caused to the newborn. While many cases do involve birth injuries like cerebral palsy, meconium aspiration, and shoulder dystocia, mothers can also sustain injuries during childbirth.
Some of these maternal wounds heal over time, but others can have disastrous long-term consequences. Not all maternal injuries are preventable. However, if your injury was caused by medical negligence, our knowledgeable Chicago maternal injuries attorneys will fight to secure maximum compensation on your behalf.
What Are Some of the Most Common Maternal Injuries?
Mothers can experience both physical…
Continue Reading What Long-Term Effects Can Maternal Birth Injuries Cause?

Sadly, not every child is born healthy. Some conditions result from developmental abnormalities, but others are caused by a medical provider’s negligence. Either situation is tragic, but a medical malpractice claim could provide you with compensation in birth injury cases. Understanding the difference is important, and our knowledgeable Chicago birth injuries attorneys are happy to answer your questions during a free and confidential consultation.
What Is the Difference Between Birth Injuries and Birth Conditions?
Congenital anomalies often develop in the first trimester of a pregnancy. Some of these birth conditions are caused by genetics and external factors, while others have…
Continue Reading Are Congenital Disorders the Same as Birth Injuries?

In 2023, C-section deliveries accounted for 32.3 percent of live births in the U.S. That same year, 15.1 out of 100 live births were by vaginal birth after a Cesarean (VBAC). A C-section delivery may be medically necessary for various reasons. That does not necessarily mean that subsequent deliveries would require that surgery. However, there are known risks associated with a VBAC. Uterine rupture is the most common, and that can harm both mother and child.
If medical negligence caused your or your baby’s injuries, you may be entitled to compensation. Any kind of medical malpractice case is complex, but…
Continue Reading If My Baby or I Was Harmed by a VBAC, Can I Sue?

The human birth canal is relatively narrow, but a baby’s entire body must pass through it during a vaginal delivery. In a normal birth, the baby’s head emerges first, followed by one shoulder, then the other. The baby’s body passes between the mother’s pubic bones during delivery, but in some cases, one or both of the baby’s shoulders become stuck in that area. Known as shoulder dystocia, this medical emergency requires immediate intervention to prevent harm to the mother and child.
Medical staff should know shoulder dystocia risk factors and be prepared to take appropriate action if the…
Continue Reading Can I Sue for Harm Caused by My Baby’s Shoulder Dystocia?

When babies are ready to be born, their heads are usually the first through the birth canal. However, some babies do not make it into the correct position. A breech position places the baby’s buttocks, feet, or knees at the entrance to the birth canal rather than the head. The risk of complications is high, so doctors and midwives must follow specific procedures.  
If healthcare providers did not follow those procedures and you or your child was harmed, one of our experienced Chicago, IL birth injury lawyers can hold them accountable and help you pursue the compensation you deserve.
Can…
Continue Reading Can I Sue If My Baby’s Breech Position Was Mishandled?

The term “gaslighting” is usually associated with personal and romantic relationships. It describes a type of psychological manipulation aimed toward making the victim question their reality, perceptions, and sanity. Although medical gaslighting is a newly coined term, it describes a similar dismissiveness by doctors that has existed for a long time. Although a patient shares concerns with the physician, those concerns are dismissed as invalid and unworthy of exploring.
Sadly, women’s concerns are often downplayed. Obstetric gaslighting can cause both birth and maternal injuries. If your healthcare team dismissed your concerns and that dismissal resulted in harm, a skilled Chicago,…
Continue Reading What Is Obstetric Gaslighting in Birth Injury Cases?

Natural childbirth is notoriously quite painful. Many expectant mothers prefer to skip the pain by receiving anesthesia through an epidural. Many C-section deliveries also use epidurals. Used in the obstetrics field since as early as 1931, around 75 percent of U.S. women use epidural anesthesia during childbirth. When administered properly, mothers should not have lasting side effects. However, epidural errors can harm both mother and baby.
If your family was harmed by avoidable epidural errors, you could be entitled to compensation. Working with a skilled Cook County, IL maternal injuries lawyer can increase your likelihood of receiving as much…
Continue Reading How Can Epidural Errors Harm Mothers and Babies?

Cerebral palsy (CP) is an umbrella term for a group of developmental disorders that affects roughly 1 in 323 U.S. children. Congenital CP cases are the most common, when brain damage affects a baby during pregnancy or childbirth. The effects on children with CP can be mild, moderate, or severe, with some children developing multiple symptoms.
Several known risk factors are associated with CP. Competent medical providers are expected to understand and identify those risks and take extra precautions when they are present. If medical negligence caused your child’s cerebral palsy, you may be entitled to compensation. One…
Continue Reading March Is Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month

Expectant parents often daydream about what their child will be like. From imagining playing with your baby to picturing them as they grow, you probably have high expectations for things you can barely wait to see unfold. When your newborn has a birth injury, your excitement can come to a screeching halt as you realize how significantly your life may have changed.
Along with obvious concern for your child, you may be dealing with overwhelming emotional trauma. Mothers are more likely to experience postpartum depression, but fathers can be devastated as well. If your baby’s birth injury is the…
Continue Reading How Can a Baby’s Birth Injuries Impact Parental Emotions?