Toronto Birth Injury Lawyers

Birth Injury

Having a new baby is an exciting time, a time for much joy. When the hopes and expectations for birth are tempered by panic — medical professionals acting urgently to respond after something goes wrong — parents are left with many unanswered questions. In the aftermath of a complicated labour and delivery, the last thing a parent wants to do is question their medical team. We want to believe that our medical professionals did everything they could to prevent injury to their child. Sadly, the reality is that some birth injuries or complications may have been preventable. If you have questions regarding your child’s birth, diagnosis, or care after they’re born, or perhaps you have questions about something that may have happened prior to their birth, we are here to help.

Birth injury is a general term. It refers to physical and cognitive trauma experienced by a newborn prior to, during or just after birth. In many cases, upon learning of their child’s condition, parents are not given full details about what happened. The many medical unknowns add to the stress of anticipating life for a child with challenges and who may require long-term care

Some examples of birth injuries would include:

• Brachial Plexus Injuries
• Erb’s Palsy
• Fetal & Neonatal Stroke
• Hypoglycemia
• Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)
• Jaundice, Kernicterus & Hyperbilirubinemia
• Meconium & Meconium Aspiration Syndrome
• Negligent Resuscitation of a Newborn
• Newborn Infections
• Periventricular Leukomalacia (PVL)
• Seizures
• Trauma from Forceps & Vacuum

Many of the birth injuries listed above can result in a brain injury to the newborn. When infants sustain traumatic brain injuries, these injuries can often result in a diagnosis of cerebral palsy.Cerebral palsy (CP) is a physical disability that affects movement and posture. Cerebral Palsy is associated with (caused by) some kind of injury to the developing brain. The injury can occur in the womb, during the birth of the baby, or in the first couple of years after birth (usually because of infection or trauma to the brain).