Boston Vacuum Extraction Injury Attorneys
Sometimes, for a number of reasons, the use of instruments during a vaginal delivery is deemed safe and desirable to the medical practitioner present for a baby's birth.
One of the instruments often used is a vacuum extractor. This device is designed to assist with the delivery of a baby that is not moving through the birth canal at an acceptable rate. The use of a vacuum extractor and/or forceps changes the vaginal birth from natural to operative. The incidence of operative vaginal deliveries has dropped in the last 25 to 30 years, but that is in contrast to a drastic increase in the incidence of cesarean section deliveries, which involve abdominal surgery. When the vacuum extractor became popular in the 1970s, it was believed to be safer than its predecessor, forceps, which are still being used. There are still birth injury risks to address before resorting to vacuum extraction.
One of the limitations with this type of extraction is that the baby's head needs to be in a low position; so, labor needs to have progressed far enough along to make the vacuum use possible. This means that the appropriate use of vacuum extraction is in the last few minutes of birth when indications of fetal distress or maternal fatigue are evident. Some of the problems that can result from using the vacuum extractor are a higher incidence of eye hemorrhage, jaundice, blood under the scalp, bruising, lacerations and blisters.
Untrained or inexperienced doctors or midwives should not perform extraction because, in addition to the milder types of injuries listed above, there is a chance of serious injury as well. One such injury is craniocerebral birth trauma, or skull fracture. This type of injury to the newborn is severe, and not only does it require neurosurgical repair, but it can also increase the possibility of neurological deficits in affected children.
Interventions such as the use of vacuum extraction in labor are not without significant risks. Improper use can cause harm. If your baby was delivered with the help of extraction and suffered injury, someone may be at fault. The emotional and financial costs to you and your family may be enormous. Our dedicated Boston birth injury lawyers at Boston's Kiley Law Group have decades of experience and have achieved successful outcomes in cases involving vacuum extraction and other birth injuries. Our Massachusetts personal injury lawyers will advocate for your rights and fight for the compensation you deserve. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
