In case of complication during the delivery, doctors can apply many different procedures in order to deal with the situation. A difficult delivery can cause stress to the parents. At the same time, it puts the life of both the baby and the mother at stake. Equipment, such as forceps and vacuums can help make the delivery process easier. However, improper use of forceps can cause injury to the head of the baby or to the womb of the mother. So, it is the responsibility of the doctors to make use of forceps in the right way in order to perform the delivery properly and avoid any injury. Unfortunately, despite much care, injuries happen due to the use of forceps.
The revolution in the field of medicine has improved the process of delivery to a great extent. As a result, risks associated with delivery are not very high. But there are still chances of mistakes and the baby can sustain an injury. When using forceps, doctors have to be very careful. Careless use of forceps can cause the tissues of the womb to tear up. Aside from this, this may cause severe lacerations in the surrounding areas of the vagina. The body of a female has better ability to deal with birth injuries. However, the body may not deal with injury caused by an external object well.
So, much care is needed when using equipment like these in the process of delivery. Each year, many cases are filed due to birth injuries caused by negligent doctors. In case of severe injuries, massive amounts of compensation are paid to the victim. At times, the court may cancel the license of the doctor if he or she has committed a serious negligence.
The wrong use of forceps can cause a whole host of complications during the delivery. As a result, the baby may have to suffer from different problems. For example, if the face of the baby is clenched too much by a tool, chances are that the primary facial nerve that controls movement in areas like the eyes and the lips can get pinched. In some cases, a mistake made by a doctor can cause facial paralysis or permanent disability. In this condition, the baby will be unable to move his lips or eyes. This will cause immense stress to the parents.
A bruise or cephalohematoma on the head may occur due to the forceps pressure when the child is coming out of womb. With the passage of time, this problem subsides in most cases. The injury may cause a fracture to the skull of the baby. In some cases, it cause other serious problems. Some babies even catch disease, such as jaundice and meningitis after the use of forceps.
If you want to know more about how you can file a case in case your baby receives an injury due to the negligence of a health care provider, you should get in touch with a medical malpractice lawyer in your area. He may guide you what steps you should take.