Shoulder Dystocia Injury Lawyer

Shoulder dystocia occurs during childbirth when, after the delivery of the baby’s head, the infant’s anterior shoulder cannot pass below the mother’s pubic bone. It is diagnosed when the shoulders fail to deliver shortly after the fetal head. Shoulder dystocia is an obstetrical emergency that can lead to fetal demise if the infant is not delivered quickly and carefully, due to compression of the umbilical cord within the birth canal.

Shoulder dystocia occurs in about 1% of vaginal births and mothers who have diabetes or are obese are more likely to birth babies who suffer this condition.

Many techniques can be used by an obstetrician to deliver a baby in this situation. If you heard any of these words used in your delivery room or have seen them in your medical records, it may be worth speaking to a birth injury lawyer about your child’s delivery:

• McRoberts Maneuver
• Rubin I or Rubin II
• Woods Screw Maneuver
• Jacquemier’s Manuever
• Gaskin Maneuver
• Zavanelli’s Maneuver

Characteristics of Shoulder Dystocia

The "McRoberts'" maneuver is the most commonly-used technique to resolve shoulder dystocia so that the baby's shoulder can be dislodged. The mother's legs are taken out of the stirrups and raised to shift the pubic bone in place so that the baby's shoulder slips out more easily.

None of these maneuvers requires touching the infant's head. But, doctors can apply excessive traction to the baby’s neck, pushing the head toward one shoulder. This leads to shoulder dystocia.

The major concern of suffering shoulder dystocia is the potential for damage to the brachial plexus nerve bundle which can lead to paralysis, palsy or even fetal death.

Contact a Shoulder Dystocia Lawyer

If you are thinking about a birth injury or shoulder dystocia birth injury lawsuit, you want the best attorney for your case. Click here to contact a Birth Injury Lawyer or to contact a Shoulder Dystocia Injury Lawyer.