Birth Injury Statistics

When a child is injured during birth, one of the first things a parent or loved one often wants to know is how common this particular type of occurrence is. Numbers help us get a grasp on what is going on, see things in concrete terms and make them feel more manageable. Moreover, knowing that others have undergone the same experience as you – in effect, realizing you are not alone – can help keep the situation from seeming hopeless.

Unfortunately, as with any research based on medical observations, the field of study surrounding birth injuries can be a difficult one to navigate. The technical jargon and sheer amount of information available is sometimes overwhelming, and it is often easy to find a study that contradicts the findings of another. It is common to become frustrated and discouraged in the face of such complications. However, uncovering even a few basic figures can give you a starting place for understanding your child’s injury in a greater medical context.

Here is a sample of some recent statistics on birth injuries:

• A 1999 study found a noticeable correlation between the way in which a child was delivered and the likelihood of intracranial hemorrhage. In vaginal births, the rate was determined to be 1 per 1900 births, in vacuum births, 1 in 860, and in a forceps-aided birth, 1 in 664.
• In 2003, the National Healthcare Quality report stated that 6.68 instances of trauma occurred per every 1,000 live births in the United States.
• Cerebral palsy, a disease with lifelong complications caused by brain injuries often sustained during delivery, affects more than 500,000 people in the U.S.
• The largest medical malpractice awards and settlements pertaining to birth injury in the U.S. have been upward of $30 million.
• Malpractice errors, of which birth injuries are a large part, cost the U.S. an estimated $29 billion every year.

Contact Us

For more information on birth injuries and to learn what you can do about a child’s birth-related complications, contact the experienced team of Philadelphia birth injury lawyers at Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C., by calling 215-238-1130.