Bloomington, IL Fetal Distress Injury Attorney

Lawyers for Birth Injuries Caused by Medical Negligence in McLean County, Sangamon County, and Peoria County

Pregnancy, labor, and delivery can be traumatic for both the mother and the child, and a wide variety of complications can arise during childbirth that can have a long-term impact on a child's health and well-being. Doctors and nurses should closely monitor a child's condition and be aware of any signs of fetal distress. Failure to respond quickly and properly to these issues can lead to serious birth injuries for a child. A skilled lawyer can work with the parents of a child who has been injured during labor or delivery to determine how they can receive compensation for the harm done to their child and their family.

At Kanoski Bresney, we understand how a birth injury can cause physical and emotional trauma for a child, a mother, and other family members. Throughout our firm's 40-year history, we have assisted clients in a wide variety of medical malpractice cases, and we have obtained a total of more than $400 million in verdicts and settlements. With this extensive experience, we can help you take the right steps to find the causes of your child's injury, and we will fight to make sure you are repaid for the damages your family has experienced.

Fetal Distress During Childbirth

During labor and delivery, a child's heart rate and other vital signs should be monitored, and medical personnel should watch for any signs that the child is experiencing distress. Issues that can lead to fetal distress include:

• Prolonged labor - Labor can last longer than normal if the child is not in the right position or is too large to move through the birth canal. It can also result from weakened contractions, including in cases where a mother has been administered pain medication.
• Induced labor - The drug Pitocin is often used to induce labor or cause it to progress more quickly. However, this drug can cause a mother to experience contractions that are very strong or close together, which can place stress on the child's body and cause them to experience a lower heart rate.
• Premature birth - A child that has not fully developed may not be able to withstand the stress placed on its body by labor and delivery, and they may experience lung and heart problems.
• Preeclampsia - A mother may experience high blood pressure during pregnancy or delivery. This can cause restrictions on blood flow to the child, leading to asphyxia.

In many cases, fetal distress will cause an infant to experience a lowered heart rate, affecting their ability to deliver oxygen throughout their body and to the brain. This can lead to permanent brain damage and conditions such as cerebral palsy. Fetal distress can also cause a child to pass meconium while it is still inside the uterus, and this can lead to meconium aspiration syndrome, which can result in respiratory distress or asphyxia following delivery.

By monitoring a child and watching for signs of fetal distress, doctors and nurses should be able to take the proper measures to ensure that the child is delivered safely. If fetal distress is endangering the health or life of the child, a Cesarean delivery may need to be performed to ensure that the child can receive the necessary medical treatment to prevent serious birth injuries.

Contact a Macon County Birth Injury Attorney

Doctors and nurses should always follow the proper procedures during childbirth and take immediate action to address any issues that could affect the health of the child or the mother. If your child has suffered a birth injury, the attorneys of Kanoski Bresney can work with you to determine whether medical personnel did not respond properly to signs of fetal distress or committed other types of medical negligence. We will fight to help you receive the compensation you deserve for the harm done to your family. Contact our office at 888-U-COUNT-2 or 888-826-8682 to arrange a free consultation today. We represent birth injury victims in Champaign County, Decatur, Peoria County, Bloomington, Tazewell County, Champaign, Pekin, Peoria, McLean County, Quincy, McDonough County, Adams County, Springfield, Macon County, Macomb, Rushville, Sangamon County, Schuyler County, and across Illinois.