Injury to the Spinal Cord During Birth and Medical Negligence
If your child suffered a spinal cord injury during birth, it may be difficult to determine whether a healthcare provider was negligent without help.
Spinal cord injuries are (thankfully) rare amongst the various types of birth injuries. However, they are some of the most devastating injuries to the newborn. When a child suffers a spinal cord injury at birth, they might experience lifelong nerve damage, pain, and paralysis.
If your child suffered a spinal cord injury during the birthing process, it may be hard for you to investigate the care at issue and determine whether a healthcare provider was negligent during the delivery process without help. That’s where experienced medical malpractice attorneys like those at Cardaro & Peek can help. We have a network of medical experts that we work with to obtain an in-depth look into your case to figure out what went wrong and what, if anything, the doctor might have done differently to prevent the injury.
Spinal Cord Injuries – Basic Information
The spinal cord is an important part of the body’s nervous system. It is a collection of 31 pairs of nerves and nerve roots that carry nerve signals throughout your body. Any damage to the spinal cord interferes with these signals, which interferes with the function of the body parts connected to the injured nerves.
The type and severity of spinal cord injuries depend on the section of the spine that is injured. There are 4 spinal cord sections: cervical (top of the spine connecting to the neck), thoracic, lumbar, and sacral (bottom of spine). Each section contains different groups of nerves that control different body parts. Injury to the nerves impacts the ability to feel sensation and/or move the corresponding body part. For example, C6 vertebrae (the sixth vertebrae in the cervical spine) contains nerves that control your wrist. The L2 vertebrae controls your hips. When a spinal cord injury occurs, nerve function loss occurs below the injury level. Accordingly, the higher along the spinal cord the injury occurs, the greater the severity of the injury.
Spinal cord injuries are generally classified as complete or incomplete.
Complete injuries result in a total loss of function below the injury location. For example, an infant with a complete cervical spine injury will be paralyzed from the neck down and never regain the ability to move their limbs or to sense things below the injury.
Incomplete injuries might allow the brain to send signals to other body parts, meaning that a child might regain motor function and sensation with treatment and therapy.
Effects of a Spinal Cord Injury
Babies with spinal cord injuries sustained during/after delivery exhibit many different symptoms depending on the severity of the damage and location of the injury. But there are some common symptoms, such as:
- Lack of movement in certain parts of their body
- Seeming “floppy” or like a wet noodle when picked up or held
- Lack of touch sensation in certain parts of their body (with babies this is usually recognized as a lack of response to touch)
- Bowel and bladder problems
- Spasms and abnormal reflexes
- Breathing problems
Long-term effects may include paralysis and intellectual disability. In very severe cases, spinal cord injuries can result in the child’s death.
What Kind of Damages Can Be Recovered?
In short, both economic and non-economic damages are available for spinal cord injuries.
Children with spinal cord injuries often require significant medical care for the rest of their life. They may require braces, mobility devices, home modifications, medications, etc. Additionally, family members may become caregivers for the child or otherwise have to hire part- or full-time caregivers. Accordingly, many victims seek compensation for both past and future medical expenses, including future at-home/long-term care.
Of course, in addition to the financial aspect of damages, a spinal cord injury often flips both the injured child and their family’s life upside down. The child and their family will have gone through and will keep going through emotional distress and mental anguish. Pain and suffering, along with the emotional damage caused by the healthcare provider’s negligence, can also be recovered.
Contact The Law Offices of Cardaro & Peek, LLC Today
Do you believe that you or your loved one has suffered as a result of medical malpractice or medical neglect? You need to talk to an experienced team of local lawyers today.
The lawyers at Cardaro & Peek, LLC have the experience and resources necessary to investigate and litigate all types of medical claims throughout Maryland and Washington, D.C. Cardaro & Peek, LLC has medical personnel on staff and has access to nationally recognized, board-certified physicians and other experts, to assist in the investigation, analysis, and prosecution of all types of medical malpractice claims. If you or a loved one have experienced malpractice, give us a call at 410-752-6166. Please visit our website www.cardarolaw.com and follow us on Facebook , Twitter , and LinkedIn for more information.
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