A new study conducted by researchers at Yale University and Johns Hopkins University says that C-section deliveries are more dangerous for premature babies than vaginal deliveries. Risks associated with C-sections include respiratory complications, brain damage, and conditions like cerebral palsy.

Doctors involved in the study said on “The Today Show” that they found a 30 percent increase in risk when premature babies are delivered via C-section. The researchers found that the most common problems encountered after C-section deliveries were jaundice, temperature control issues, and difficulty breathing and feeding. Furthermore, the study suggests that complications for premature babies after C-sections are likely to worsen over time and develop into more serious medical conditions like cerebral palsy.

One doctor on the show stated, “In the last few weeks of a pregnancy, that’s when the lungs and the brain are really developing, so developmental problems, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, all of those things become compounded if a baby is taken out prematurely.”

If your child suffered birth injuries and was delivered via C-section, contact the Philadelphia c-section lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. at 215-238-1130 to learn more about how we can help you.

A family from Massachusetts was recently awarded $7 million in a birth injury lawsuit filed against the staff at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center who treated their newborn daughter. According to the lawsuit, the girl was born two months premature in June 2004.

After her birth, the newborn immediately began having problems and was put in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The newborn’s condition became worse and worse, yet the staff caring for her failed to diagnose that her bowels had been perforated. When the problem was diagnosed, doctors attempted to stabilize her intestinal tissues, but the surgery was not successful, and the girl passed away.

A jury determined that the newborn’s doctor and nurse practitioner were negligent in their care of the girl. Both parents were awarded $3.5 million. An attorney in the case stated, “By all accounts [the newborn] should have progressed on just like her sister and should have gone on to live a normal life.”

Recently, a ruling by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court set a precedent in medical malpractice claims filed in Pennsylvania state courts. The ruling came out of a case in which a mother claimed that the defendants’ negligence caused her to suffer emotional distress.

Negligent infliction of emotional distress claims are often included in medical malpractice and other personal injury cases. However, in this case, the defendants’ negligence did not cause any injuries, nor could the defendants have prevented any injuries from occurring had they not acted negligently.

The mother filed the claim with a state trial court, arguing that a radiologist and hospital were negligent in failing to detect that her pregnancy was not normal. In 2005, her son was born with several permanent deformities. While the defendants’ failure to detect any problems with the pregnancy before the boy was born did not cause his injuries, the woman claimed that it did prevent her from being prepared to deal with her son’s condition and caused her severe emotional distress.

The trial court dismissed the claim, and the mother appealed its decision to an appeals court. The appellate court ruled with the mother, believing that emotional distress was sufficient harm to justify a medical negligence claim. Then, the defendants appealed the decision to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which upheld the appellate court’s ruling and essentially expanded the definition of negligent infliction of emotional distress.

To learn more about filing a birth injury medical negligence lawsuit, contact the Philadelphia birth injury attorneys of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. by calling 215-238-1130.

A New York Supreme Court recently awarded $3 million to a teen and his family in a cerebral palsy lawsuit.  The court’s jury found that the obstetrician involved in the teen’s birth was responsible for causing brain damage that led him to develop cerebral palsy.

The teen, 18, was born via C-section.  According to his mother’s claim, her obstetrician called for the C-section 3 to 4 hours too late, and as a result, the child suffered from fetal hypoxia–a situation in which the infant loses oxygen at a rapid pace just before birth.  In order to reduce the risk of hypoxia in infants, it is common procedure for doctors to monitor an infant’s heart rate before delivery.

The doctor argued that there were no signs that the infant was under stress before his birth.  However, evidence showed that the child suffered from fetal hypoxia caused by pressure on the umbilical cord before his birth.

If your child developed cerebral palsy as a result of medical negligence before, during, or shortly after their delivery, contact the Philadelphia cerebral palsy lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. at 215-238-1130 to discuss your situation with a compassionate and experienced birth injury attorney today.

A mother in Pennsylvania recently won $525,000 in a medical negligence lawsuit filed against her obstetrician, nurses aiding in her child’s delivery, and Lower Bucks Hospital.

The woman gave birth to her daughter via C-section in March.  After experiencing abdominal pain for two months after her daughter’s delivery, the mother went to see her obstetrician.  A CT Scan revealed that a sponge from the C-section surgery had been left inside her abdomen and perforated her intestines.

The doctor argued that the nurses in the delivery had miscounted the 25 sponges used in the surgery, and he was not found liable for the woman’s injuries.  However, a jury did find the nurses and Lower Bucks Hospital to be liable for the mother’s post-surgical complications.

If you or your child were injured because a doctor or hospital staff negligently performed a C-section, contact the Philadelphia C-section attorneys of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. at 215-238-1130 to learn more about how an experienced birth injury attorney can help you.

A new birth injury study reveals the top 3 reasons people file medical negligence lawsuits against OBGYN doctors.  The study, which was conducted by CRICO Strategies, looked at approximately 800 birth injury cases filed between 2005 and 2009.

According to the study, 77 percent of the cases involved clinical judgement errors made by obstetricians.  The second most common concern in birth injury lawsuits was injury caused by miscommunication between doctors, which was a problem in 36 percent of the cases studied.  Lastly, 26 percent of the cases involved technical mistakes.

Other common causes of birth injuries and lawsuits against obstetricians found in study include failure to properly supervise, documentation failures, and administrative failures.  ”There is a substantial body of data that confirms the [results] of this report,” said the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’s deputy executive vice president, Dr. Albert Strunk.

If your child was injured before, during, or shortly after their delivery as a result of doctor or hospital negligence, contact the Philadelphia birth injury lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. by calling 215-238-1130 today.

This month, an Oklahoma family was awarded $1.8 million in a birth injury lawsuit involving a vacuum extraction.  The jury awarded the plaintiffs $1.2 million for medical expenses and $600,000 for pain and suffering.

The lawsuit involved the birth of a girl who is now 3-years old, and has no function in her left arm and hand.  The doctor in charge of the girl’s delivery called for a vacuum delivery.  According to the plaintiffs, this decision was unnecessary because the child was in good health while in utero.

The child’s shoulder became lodged behind her mother’s pelvic bone during the vacuum delivery.  The doctor then pulled on the child to release her shoulder, causing permanent nerve damage.  Doctors are advised to use pressure around the pelvic area or move the mother’s legs when a child’s shoulder becomes stuck.

Contact the Philadelphia injuries from vacuum extractions lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. at 215-238-1130, if your child suffered injuries when a doctor performed a vacuum delivery.

Last month, a Tennessee mother filed a brain damage birth injury lawsuit against the doctor who delivered her son on June 13, 2009 at NorthCrest Medical Center.  The mother is seeking unspecified, compensatory damages on behalf of her son.

According to the lawsuit, when the child was born, he was gasping for air and had an irregular heart rate.  A nurse in the delivery said the boy did cry and move his arms and legs after his delivery.  Without consulting the family or other staff, the doctor determined that the newborn did not have a chance of surviving and left it alone and without care until the family decided what to do.

A few hours after leaving the child unattended, in a plastic bin, a nurse said she saw the boy trying to breath.  The newborn was resuscitated and transferred to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he stayed for treatment for 3 months.

The plaintiff argues that the doctor’s negligence and incorrect diagnosis and treatment caused her son to develop brain damage.

A Texas woman is suing the clinic in which her son was born claiming that he suffered a severe birth injury due to the negligence of the delivery doctor.

The woman’s son developed a severe condition called shoulder dystocia, which occurs when the baby’s shoulders become lodged behind the pubic bone during delivery. The doctor in the delivery room chose to apply pressure on the baby’s head to remove him from the vaginal cavity instead of utilizing a rotating motion to free the shoulders. This condition can cause extreme brain damage and injuries to nerves in several areas.

The lawsuit is claiming that the doctor failed to suggest a Cesarean section after knowing the mother was a  high risk for birth injuries due to being overweight and suffering from diabetes. The woman is seeking past and future damages for physical pain as well as medical expenses.

If your child suffered birth injuries during delivery, please contact the Philadelphia birth injury lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. by calling 215-238-1130 today.

Erb’s palsy(also known as brachial palsy) is a disorder that can occur during birth, but is completely preventable. The disorder can correct itself, but physical therapy still may be needed.

Erb’s palsy affects the nerves that are on the shoulder and neck. Once damaged, the communication between the brain and arm is changed and this can cause symptoms such as one arm that may be smaller than the other, a paralyzed arm or an arm that may be turned inward.

A few conditions during birth may contribute to the development of Erb’s palsy and these include difficult, lengthy births, certain drugs that may induce labor, and if the head is pulled away from the body during labor. For those who suffer from Erb’s palsy, daily arm exercises may need to be done.

If you or a loved one’s child suffered a birth injury and developed Erb’s palsy as a result, you need experienced representation on your side. Contact the Philadelphia Erb’s palsy lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. by calling 610-667-7511 today.