Chicago Birth Injury Lawyers

Bruising

Every expecting couple hopes for a relatively smooth, uncomplicated delivery. For about 7 out of every 1,000 births in the US, however, the infant experiences some kind of injury or trauma. Bruises and other external injuries are generally some of the more mild birth injuries, but they can lead to serious medical complications.

Causes of External Birth Injuries

Birth injuries can be caused by many biological factors, including premature birth, unusually large newborns, and medically complicated deliveries. In these cases, there is sometimes not much that medical staff can do to prevent injuries.

In other cases, however, injuries can be caused by factors which hospitals workers control, such as:

• Use of forceps or ventouse (a vacuum delivery method)
• Inadequate response to a prolonged delivery
• Lack of due care while delivering an infant

Types of External Birth Injuries

Some of the most common external birth injuries are:

• Bruising, especially on the face or head
• Caput succedaneum, a swelling of the scalp that develops as infants pass through the birth canal
• Marks left by the forceps or vacuum

An infant delivered with a vacuum or forceps may also have lacerations on his or her head as a result.

Contact Us

If your child was injured during delivery due to a poor decision by hospital staff, you may have grounds for a Chicago birth injury lawsuit. To speak with an experienced Chicago birth injury attorney, contact the offices of Friedman & Bonebrake at 312-466-8200.