Cerebral Palsy and Breech Babies (Feet First) Lawyers

When a baby has a breech presentation, the baby and the mother can both become injured during birth. Cerebral palsy is a serious medical condition that can be caused by a breech presentation. When doctors engage in negligence or recklessness, they might fail to adequately treat a baby who is in a breech presentation. When breech babies do not receive the medical care they need, brain bleeds and oxygen deprivation may cause brain injuries that result in cerebral palsy.

The most common position for birth ideally is head-down, facing the mother’s back, with the chin tucked to its chest and the back of the baby’s head ready to enter the pelvis. When the baby’s buttocks or feet are positioned closest to the pelvis, the baby is in a breech position.

The breech position makes childbirth hazardous, as it can be extremely difficult for babies to navigate the birth canal. Babies can get stuck in the birth canal when they are in the breech position. There are four different types of breech positions:

• In the frank breech position, the baby’s buttocks come first. The baby’s legs become flexed at his or her hips and extended at the knees, with their feet near their ears.
• The baby is in a complete breach when his or her hips and knees have become flexed and the baby is sitting with cross-legs and with his or her feet beside the buttocks.
• In a footling breech position, either one foot or both feet come first. The baby’s buttocks are in a higher position.
• When the baby is in a kneeling breech, he or she has one or both legs extended at his or her hips and the legs are flexed at the knees.

When a baby is in any of the breech positions, labor can become prolonged. The longer the labor goes on, the more potential there is for the baby to become injured or deprived of oxygen. Sometimes, doctors attempt to manually move the baby into a head-first, correct position. To do so, doctors try to push the baby into place from outside of the mother’s abdomen. Sometimes doctors use too much force or pressure when trying to rotate the baby, causing an injury to the baby or mother.

When doctors cannot turn the baby into a safe and proper position, they must decide whether or not to attempt a vaginal birth or to tell the mother that she needs to have a cesarean section (c-section). While it is possible for the mother to have a vaginal birth when the baby is breech, it can be extremely dangerous.

When certain conditions are not present, doctors should not even attempt a breech vaginal birth. Doing so can become extremely dangerous and can cause the baby to experience a lack of oxygen, resulting in a cerebral palsy diagnosis.

There are many other ways that breech presentations can cause cerebral palsy. Brain injuries are the main cause of cerebral palsy in children. Sadly, many of these brain injuries are preventable. Injuries that can cause cerebral palsy include the following:

• Umbilical cord compression or prolapse is an emergency medical situation. If the baby’s umbilical cord becomes compressed when the baby’s body goes through the birth canal, the compression can cut off blood flow and oxygen to the baby’s brain.
• When the umbilical cord or nuchal cord becomes wrapped around the baby’s neck, the pressure can stop the flow of oxygen-rich blood from the baby to the umbilical cord. The cord can also cut off the blood flow between the baby’s body and the head. A lack of oxygen can put the baby at an increased risk of cerebral palsy.
• The pressure and force of labor can cause heart rates to change and lead to oxygen deprivation as well as ischemia that can cause cerebral palsy.
• A traumatic injury to the brain can cause cerebral palsy. When the skull or brain becomes injured in the birth canal, it can result in cerebral palsy.

At Arnold & Smith, PLLC we understand that taking care of a child with severe injuries due to a breech presentation can be daunting. If a doctor’s negligence caused a birth injury, our experienced personal injury lawyers are here to help you. We have experience fighting for parents whose children receive a cerebral palsy diagnosis caused by a doctor’s negligence in managing a baby’s breech position. We offer case evaluations to potential clients to review the details of their case and determine if they have a claim. Contact us today to schedule your initial consultation.