Forceps delivery, a method used to assist childbirth when complications arise, involves using a pair of tongs-like instruments to grasp and guide the baby’s head through the birth canal. While forceps deliveries can be life-saving in certain situations, they do carry risks especially where negligence (carelessness) or incompetence is involved and birth injuries may occur. These injuries can range from minor to severe and often depend on the skill and experience of the healthcare provider, the position of the baby, and the specifics of the delivery process.
When is a Forceps Delivery Used?
Forceps are used in labor and delivery when assistance is needed to safely deliver the baby. Common indications include prolonged second stage of labor, where the mother has been pushing for an extended period without progress, or when there are concerns about fetal distress based on abnormal heart rate patterns. Forceps may also be used if the baby is in an abnormal position, such as occiput posterior (face-up) or transverse, to help rotate and guide the baby through the birth canal.
Additionally, if the mother is experiencing exhaustion or certain medical conditions that make pushing difficult or risky, forceps can expedite the delivery process. The decision to use forceps is typically made by healthcare providers based on careful assessment of the specific circumstances and risks involved, aiming to achieve a safe delivery while minimizing potential complications for both mother and baby.
Birth Injuries Caused by Improper Forceps Use
Forceps deliveries carry inherent risks of birth injuries — especially if the medical provider is negligent or careless — for both the baby and, to a lesser extent, the mother. These risks include:
- Facial injuries: Forceps can cause facial bruising, swelling, or lacerations due to pressure exerted during the delivery process. In some cases, facial nerve injuries may occur, leading to facial weakness or asymmetry.
- Head injuries: The baby’s head is particularly vulnerable during forceps delivery. Excessive force or improper application of forceps can result in skull fractures, cephalohematoma (bleeding beneath the skull’s periosteum), or molding (temporary reshaping) of the skull bones.
- Brain injuries: Severe cases of forceps delivery can lead to intracranial hemorrhage (bleeding within the brain), which may cause long-term neurological complications or developmental delays.
- Brachial plexus injuries (Erb’s palsy): Forceps deliveries can sometimes cause damage to the brachial plexus nerves, resulting in conditions like brachial plexus palsy (Erb’s palsy) and Klumpke’s palsy. These injuries can affect the baby’s arm movement and sensation.
- Neck and spinal injuries: Improper use of forceps or excessive force can potentially injure the baby’s neck or spine, leading to spinal cord damage or cervical nerve injuries.
- Birth trauma: The use of forceps can increase the risk of birth trauma, including cuts or abrasions on the baby’s scalp or face, which may require stitches or additional medical attention.
- Long-term effects: In severe cases, birth injuries from forceps delivery can have long-term consequences, affecting the baby’s physical and cognitive development.
When Should Forceps Be Avoided?
Forceps delivery should generally be avoided in certain situations where the risks outweigh the benefits or where alternative methods may be safer for both the mother and the baby. Some instances where forceps should be avoided include:
- Unfavorable fetal position: If the baby’s position is deeply engaged or in a position that makes it difficult to safely apply forceps, such as face presentation or high station.
- Uncontrolled maternal bleeding: In cases of significant maternal bleeding or certain bleeding disorders, forceps delivery may increase the risk of further bleeding complications.
- Inexperienced or untrained providers: Forceps delivery requires skill and experience. If the healthcare provider is inexperienced or not adequately trained in using forceps, alternative methods or assistance from a more experienced provider should be considered.
- Fetal distress: If fetal distress persists despite attempts to change the mother’s position or other conservative measures, forceps may not be appropriate if they cannot expedite delivery safely.
- Maternal pelvic structure: In cases where the maternal pelvic anatomy is not conducive to forceps application, such as narrow pelvic dimensions or abnormalities, forceps delivery may pose risks of injury to the mother.
In these situations, healthcare providers may opt for alternative methods of delivery, such as a cesarean section or C-section, to ensure the safest possible outcome for both the mother and the baby.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
The costs of caring for a child with birth injuries can add up very quickly. If your child’s injury was caused by medical negligence (carelessness), you may be able to seek compensation for damages including loss of earnings, medical expenses, cost of hospitalization, ongoing treatment and therapies, psychological counseling, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc.
The experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you. One of our clients secured a $2,850,000 verdict that was reduced by the appeals court to $1,846,000 because the verdict was so large. This was the highest amount upheld by the appellate (appeals) courts for many, many years. In addition we recovered $1,400,000 for a newborn who lost motion in the arm during birth due to doctors applying incorrect force on the baby’s head. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
We have seen cases where New York City Health and Hospital Corporation facilities deliver babies who are born with birth injuries stemming from negligence (carelessness), and/or medical malpractice in the labor and delivery etc. of the children.
The following list identifies some of these hospitals (operated by New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation):
• Jacobi Hospital aka Bronx Municipal 1400 Pelham Parkway South Bronx, New York 10461 718-918-5000
• Lincoln Hospital 234 East 149th Street Bronx, New York 10451 718-579-5000
• North Central Bronx Hospital 3424 Kossuth Avenue Bronx, New York 10467 718-519-5000
• Coney Island Hospital 2601 Ocean Parkway Brooklyn, New York 11235 718-616-3000
• Kings County Hospital 451 Clarkson Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11203 718-245-3131
• Woodhull Hospital 760 Broadway Brooklyn, New York 11206 718-963-8000
• Bellevue Hospital 462 First Avenue New York, New York 10016 212-562-5555
• Harlem Hospital 506 Lenox Avenue New York, New York 10037 212-939-1000
• Metropolitan Hospital 1901 First Avenue New York, New York 10029 212-423-6262
• Elmhurst Hospital 79-01 Broadway Elmhurst, New York 11373 718-334-4000
• Queens Hospital Center 82-68 164th Street Jamaica, New York 11432 718-883-3000
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury, lead poisoning and medical malpractice cases including, brachial plexus palsy (Erb’s palsy) and cerebral palsy cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
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