Mineola, New York (NewYorkInjuryNews.com) — Several years ago, one of our clients, a 29-year-old woman named “Adriana” delivered her daughter “Leah” by vaginal delivery. Adriana was admitted to a nearby hospital for labor and delivery and was assigned to the on-call attending physician who was to preside over the delivery. However, Adriana claimed that only a two-year resident (that is a doctor only 3 years out of medical school) handled the delivery – without the attending physician being present.
During the course of the delivery, the baby’s head delivered but her shoulders did not follow. This situation is known as shoulder dystocia. It can be one of the most frightening emergencies in the delivery room.
Calm and effective management of this emergency is possible if a doctor recognizes the impaction and implements the specified maneuvers and rotations to safely get the infant out. If it is not detected, a newborn may suffer from what is commonly known as “Erb’s Palsy”, a condition resulting from an overstretching and tearing of the brachial plexus nerves. It can cause varying degrees of paralysis in a baby’s arms and shoulders and can last a lifetime.
While a medical student receives “in theory” training in medical school, it is during residencies at hospitals that future ob/gyn doctors learn how to deliver babies in these situations under the supervision of attending doctors.
In this case, the resident tried to perform the maneuvers he studied in school, but he used excessive force to deliver little Leah. The attending physician was called in too late, and actually (allegedly) caused further injury on the head and neck of the infant. Leah was immediately diagnosed with Right Arm Erb’s Palsy. Our firm settled this case on behalf of Adriana claiming that excessive traction was a departure from good and accepted medical practice.
So, be aware of the credentials of doctors that treat and attend to you. The same could be applied to your attorneys. If you feel that you have been affected by a case of medical malpractice, immediately contact attorneys that are skilled and experienced at dealing with such matters.
To get legal assistance on a medical malpractice case, simply complete the form below and our New York Medical malpractice Lawyer will provide legal answers in a Q & A styled post. The legal team Contributor: Robert Sullivan – Prominent Long Island / New York State Medical Malpractice Lawyer