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Baltimore Birth Injury Lawyer

Cesarean-Section Injuries Result in Lifelong Disabilities

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 2,684,803 babies were vaginally delivered in the United States in 2016 and 1,258,581 were delivered by cesarean section, meaning 31.9% percent of all U.S. births that year were by C-section. Twenty years earlier, cesarean births accounted for only 20.7 percent of births. Is there a correlation between the steep rise in C-sections and safer childbirth, or have more women and their babies been exposed to unnecessary risks? Although C-section is an important advancement in obstetrical health, it is major surgery with the chance of serious complications.

LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton, P.A. focuses on helping families in our community overcome the difficult challenges they experience when faced with birth injuries. During our 33 years in practice, our attorneys have recovered more than $100 million for injured clients through mediation settlements and trial verdicts. We pursue the compensation to which you are entitled for injuries you or your baby sustained because of labor and delivery negligence.

C-section Risks to the Baby

Mistakes made during C-section delivery put your baby at risk of sustaining a variety of birth injuries, including:

Breathing problems — The baby’s lungs and brain develop late in pregnancy, so early delivery can trigger fetal distress.
Low APGAR test — The standard tool for assessing newborn health, the APGAR test measures your baby’s respiratory health, heart rate, reflexes, muscle tone and skin color. APGAR scores of babies delivered by cesarean section are lower on average than those delivered vaginally.
Premature birth — Calculating the gestational stage is an inexact science, and yet a couple of weeks can make a substantial difference in the level of fetal development. A scheduled C-section may not allow your baby to fully develop to term.
Skin lacerations — A baby’s skin can be nicked during the uterine incision, leaving your child with permanent scars.

Cesarean Surgery Risks to Women

Delivery by cesarean section is major abdominal surgery with risks of:

Endometritis — Inflammation of the membrane lining the uterus can cause fever and pain.
Hemorrhaging — Surgical delivery increases the amount of blood loss women may experience.
Infection — Women are exposed to infections of the incision site, uterus, pelvis and bladder.
Organ injury — The obstetrician can accidentally nick the woman’s bladder or bowel.
Serious blood clots — C-section increases the chances that a woman may develop blood clots in the veins of her legs or pelvis, a condition that can become life-threatening if a clot travels to her lungs.

If you or your child was harmed during your cesarean-section delivery, our team investigates whether your doctor made a mistake, and even whether you should have been advised to deliver surgically in the first place. We then initiate a medical malpractice lawsuit to recover damages for your injuries or your baby’s injuries.