Medical errors during childbirth can transform a moment of joy into years of hardship. For Woodlawn families, a birth injury means watching your child struggle through preventable pain while facing staggering medical costs.
A birth injury attorney from Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A. stands ready to fight for the compensation your family deserves.
Our attorneys have recovered over $1 billion for Maryland families harmed by medical negligence. We handle every aspect of your legal claim while you focus on what truly matters: your child’s health and your family’s wellbeing.
Birth Injuries: When Medical Care Falls Short
Birth injuries occur when healthcare providers make preventable mistakes during pregnancy, labor, or delivery. These errors can cause permanent harm ranging from nerve damage to life-altering brain injuries requiring lifelong care.
For Woodlawn residents who deliver at Northwest Hospital or other Baltimore County facilities, birth injuries create extraordinary financial pressure. Treatment often requires specialized therapies and equipment costing millions over a child’s lifetime.
Our lawyers build strong cases by connecting medical mistakes directly to your child’s condition, securing funds for immediate treatment and future care needs.
Most Common Birth Injuries in Baltimore County
The most common birth injuries we’ve seen in Woodlawn are the following:
Brain Injuries and Cerebral Palsy
Oxygen deprivation during birth can cause permanent brain damage, leading to cerebral palsy. This condition affects approximately 1 in 345 children according to the latest data, limiting movement, coordination, and sometimes intellectual function.
These injuries typically result from:
- Unrecognized fetal distress signals
- Delayed cesarean sections
- Mismanaged maternal conditions like preeclampsia
Children with these injuries require extensive therapy, adaptive equipment, and sometimes round-the-clock care. The financial impact is immediate and ongoing, with lifetime costs frequently exceeding $1 million.
Nerve Damage and Brachial Plexus Injuries
When excessive force is applied during delivery, particularly during shoulder dystocia, nerves controlling arm movement can tear or stretch. These injuries, including Erb’s palsy, affect 1-2 babies per 1,000 births.
Depending on the severity, these injuries may:
- Resolve naturally over months
- Require surgical intervention
- Cause permanent weakness or paralysis
Even with treatment, many children experience permanent limitations affecting everyday activities and future independence.
Fractures and Physical Injuries
Difficult deliveries can result in broken bones, particularly clavicle (collarbone) fractures. While many heal completely, some cause permanent damage or disfigurement when improperly diagnosed or treated.
Maternal Injuries
Mothers also suffer preventable harm during childbirth. Hemorrhage, unrecognized preeclampsia, and infection mismanagement threaten maternal health and safety.
How Medical Negligence Causes Birth Injuries in Woodlawn
Our experience with Baltimore County birth injury cases reveals several recurring patterns of negligence:
Missed Warning Signs During Monitoring
Electronic fetal monitoring tracks the baby’s heart rate and maternal contractions during labor. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), specific heart rate patterns indicate distress requiring immediate intervention.
When Woodlawn medical providers:
- Misinterpret monitoring data
- Fail to communicate concerning patterns
- Leave mothers unmonitored for extended periods
Babies can experience preventable oxygen deprivation, causing permanent brain damage within minutes.
Delayed Emergency Actions
When complications arise, timely cesarean sections prevent injury. At Woodlawn-area hospitals, delays often result from:
- Understaffing during evenings and weekends
- Communication failures between medical team members
- Reluctance to perform surgery despite clear indicators
These delays allow dangerous conditions to progress, causing preventable harm to both mothers and babies.
Delivery Tool Errors
Forceps and vacuum extractors assist difficult deliveries but require proper training and technique. Misuse can cause:
- Skull fractures
- Brain hemorrhages
- Facial nerve damage
- Permanent disabilities
When Baltimore County practitioners use excessive force or improper techniques with these instruments, they fall below accepted standards of care.
Medication Mistakes
Labor and delivery medications require precise dosing and monitoring. Pitocin (oxytocin) errors can cause uterine hyperstimulation, reducing oxygen to the baby. Anesthesia administration mistakes risk maternal hypotension, affecting placental blood flow.
According to the International Medication Safety Network, medication errors in neonatal care occur from:
- Confusing adult and pediatric formulations
- Calculation errors when determining weight-based dosages
- Poor communication during shift changes
These preventable errors directly threaten both maternal and infant health.
