Birth injuries can dramatically alter the course of a family’s life. When investigating why these traumatic events occur in Scranton, one factor consistently emerges as the primary culprit: medical negligence. If you believe your child’s birth injury resulted from substandard care, understanding the common causes can help clarify your legal options.
The Leading Cause of Birth Injuries is Medical Negligence
Medical negligence is the most common cause of birth injuries in Scranton. Medical malpractice occurs when healthcare providers fail to meet the standard of care expected of them, potentially leading to severe complications during childbirth. This negligence can happen before, during, or after birth, including actions or inactions that harm the child.
Healthcare professionals are trained to understand the birthing process and to monitor any risk factors that may lead to birth injuries. However, some may fail to act quickly in dangerous situations, fail to properly diagnose health conditions in the mother or baby, or fail to monitor them effectively after childbirth.
How Healthcare Provider Errors Lead to Birth Injuries
Several specific forms of medical negligence frequently contribute to birth injuries in Scranton hospitals:
Failure to Monitor Maternal and Fetal Vital Signs
Proper monitoring during pregnancy and labor is essential for detecting potential complications. When healthcare providers fail to monitor adequately:
- Fetal heart rate patterns may go unnoticed
- Maternal blood pressure issues might remain untreated
- Signs of fetal distress can be missed during critical moments
These monitoring failures often lead to delayed interventions when problems arise, increasing the risk of oxygen deprivation and other serious birth injuries.
Improper Use of Birth Assistance Tools
Misuse of birthing tools such as forceps or vacuum extractors, as well as the use of unnecessary force during childbirth, can constitute medical negligence.
Vacuum extraction injuries result from using a vacuum extractor, which occurs in about 5% of all births where assisted delivery devices are used. Injuries from vacuum extraction can include scalp wounds, skull fractures, internal bleeding, brain damage, and brachial plexus nerve damage that can lead to conditions like Erb’s palsy.
While some of these injuries can heal without intervention, serious complications can result in permanent damage to both the mother and the baby.
Failure to Perform Timely C-Sections
When complications arise during labor, a cesarean section is often necessary to prevent birth injuries. Delays in performing emergency C-sections when indicators suggest fetal distress can lead to:
- Oxygen deprivation
- Brain damage
- Physical trauma
- Other serious complications
Modern C-sections allow doctors to safely intervene in a difficult delivery to prevent injury and save lives, but only when performed promptly and used appropriately.
How Different Causes Lead to Specific Birth Injuries
Understanding how various forms of negligence lead to specific types of birth injuries can help clarify potential legal claims:
Oxygen Deprivation and Brain Injuries
Oxygen deprivation during birth is a leading cause of cerebral palsy and other brain injuries. This can occur due to:
- Delayed delivery when fetal distress is present
- Umbilical cord complications
- Failure to monitor and address maternal blood pressure issues
- Improper administration of labor-inducing drugs
Roughly 1 in 345 children has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy in the U.S. each year.
Physical Trauma and Nerve Damage
Physical trauma during delivery can cause several types of injuries:
- Brachial plexus injuries often result from excessive pulling or stretching during delivery, particularly when shoulder dystocia occurs
- Erb’s palsy involves explicitly damage to the upper nerves of the brachial plexus
- Fractures may occur during difficult deliveries, especially if birthing tools are misused
How Our Attorneys Investigate Birth Injury Causes
At Munley Law, our team has extensive experience investigating the specific causes of birth injuries in Scranton hospitals. Our process includes:
- A thorough review of all your medical records at every stage of your pregnancy
- Consulting with medical experts who can identify deviations from the standard of care
- Investigate hospital protocols and whether they were followed correctly
- Examine staff qualifications and potential training issues
- Compare similar cases to establish patterns of negligence
Understanding the exact cause of your child’s birth injury is essential for building a strong legal case and securing the compensation your family deserves.
Get Help With Your Birth Injury Case
If your child has suffered a birth injury that you believe was caused by medical negligence, our attorneys can help determine the specific causes and build your case. Contact our Scranton injury lawyers today for a free consultation to discuss the circumstances of your child’s birth injury and explore your legal options.
Reviewed by Bernadine Munley, Esq., Personal Injury Attorney at Munley Law, on August 8, 2025.
Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys
227 Penn Ave.
Scranton, PA 18503
(570) 865-4699
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