Miami Breech Birth Injury Attorney

A breech birth is not uncommon. In fact, one in 25 full-term births in the U.S. are breech births. Doctors and hospitals should be well-aware of the possibility of a breech birth, and they should know the proper measures to take to deal with the situation appropriately. However, failure to order a C-section or other medical mistakes can harm the mother and the baby, including brain damage or other physical harm that causes lasting or permanent injuries. The Miami breech birth injury lawyers at Freidin Brown, P.A. have decades of experience holding Florida doctors and hospitals accountable for their negligence and failures during labor and delivery, including injury from mishandling a breech birth.

What is breech birth?

A breech birth refers to a situation where the baby’s buttocks and/or feet are in the position to be delivered first, rather than the head-first position which is optimal for safe delivery. A breech birth may present as a complete breech, frank breech, or incomplete or footling breech, depending on the position of the buttocks, legs and feet in relation to the birth canal.

Usually a fetus in the breech position will position itself naturally before the 30^th week of gestation. If this has not happened, doctors may attempt to reposition the fetus through external cephalic version (ECV). Even if ECV fails, doctors still have many weeks to decide the best way to perform the birth, including scheduling a C-section. If the obstetrician is instead planning on a vaginal birth, the doctor and hospital should be well-prepared to perform an emergency caesarian if necessary, given the circumstances of a fetus in breech.

Risk factors for breech position

There are actually a number of different signs that indicate a fetus may develop in the breech position. These include:

• Multiple prior pregnancies
• Placenta previa
• Contracted pelvis
• Excess amniotic fluid

These symptoms of a breech birth are nothing new. Doctors should be aware of all of these risks and know how any such circumstances should be addressed during labor, as well as the likelihood of a breech-positioned baby.

Vaginal birth or caesarian section?

A major decision when a baby is in the breech position is whether to deliver vaginally or via c-section. Obstetricians should consider a number of factors to lead them toward making the correct decision, such as:

• What is the size of the fetus in relation to the mother?
• Is the cervix completely dilated?
• Is the hospital properly equipped to continually monitor the fetus throughout labor?
• Is the hospital prepared to perform an emergency C-section if necessary?

Risks of harm from a breech birth delivery

When a breech birth delivery is not handled properly, both the infant and the mother are at risk. Risks of harm to the baby can include:

• Damage to the muscles or soft tissues in the baby’s back or legs
• Brain damage from compression, use of forceps, or umbilical cord prolapse
• Cerebral palsy
• Erb’s palsy
• Wrongful death

Risks of harm to the mother can include:

• Cervical tear
• Vaginal tear

These injuries don’t have to occur. It is up to doctors and hospitals to make sound medical decisions and execute them properly so that unnecessary harm doesn’t occur to mother or baby in the event of a breech birth. When injuries do occur, the birth injury lawyers at Freidin Brown, P.A. are experienced in determining whether medical malpractice is to blame and building a strong case to hold doctors and hospitals accountable while obtaining a full amount of compensation to the injury victims.

Our Miami Breech Birth Injury Lawyers are Here for You

If your child was injured during a breech birth delivery in Florida, call Freidin Brown, P.A. for a free consultation with a team of knowledgeable, experienced and dedicated Miami birth injury lawyers. We’re committed to getting your family the care and compensation you need and deserve after suffering harm from medical malpractice.