In the delivery process of a child, there are a lot of moving parts and a lot of different people that are interacting with the labor process. You have the primary care physician, the OB-GYN, you have nurses, you have various medical professionals from the hospital. This makes a chaotic situation even more confusing, considering how many people are involved and the number of decisions being made at any given time. Labor is unpredictable, and when something unexpected happens, medical professionals have to deviate from the standard expectation of what the experience is going to be like. Sometimes they need to use different medical devices to help in the labor process. One of the things that are used is a vacuum for the delivery process. It uses a soft cup that attaches to your baby’s head and exerts suction to guide them out of the birth canal. Can that cause damage? Absolutely. Potential injuries can range from minor injuries on the scalp to skull fracture or extradural hemorrhage (bleeding in the skull). Cephalohematoma, bleeding under the skull bone, and a more serious bleed called a subgaleal hematoma, bleeding under the scalp, can also ensue. Vacuum-assisted delivery is a risky process that has to be handled with absolute care to ensure that neither mother nor child sustains any unexpected injuries.
Using a vacuum during delivery isn’t an inherently bad thing. It can be safer than a cesarean delivery, and it can lower the risk of fetal distress during labor. Sometimes the use of a vacuum during the delivery process is the prudent, responsible thing to do. However, even when it is the best option, vacuum assistance is still sometimes done incorrectly and improperly. Mistakes are made. And in the medical field, minor mistakes can have life-altering consequences for the patient affected. Sometimes patients who have been injured during medical procedures hesitate to pursue an injury claim because they believe that there was an inherent level of risk in undergoing the procedure at all. However, just as there is an inherent risk in any medical procedure, there is an inherent level of responsibility assigned to your doctor. And if your doctor failed to fulfill his or her duty of care to either you or your child, you shouldn’t hesitate to seek a settlement that can help provide for your child’s future medical needs.
When you’re dealing with a newborn in a labor scenario, the smallest mistakes can have devastating, catastrophic effects on the rest of their life. Details are incredibly important, and attention to detail is what we bring to your case. What we’re going to do is see what was done. See the steps that were taken, evaluate the decisions that were made, and make sure they were done properly. We’ll ensure that everything was done correctly and in the best interest of that child and for the mother. If a vacuum-assisted delivery process was used in your labor with your child and you believe the potential for damage is there, call our firm. Let us take care of you and your family.