How Improper Maneuvers Cause Severe Nerve Damage During Delivery

Expectant parents plan not only for their labor and delivery experience, but also for their child’s future, anticipating the joyous welcoming of a new addition to their family. Sadly, around seven infants suffer birth injuries in every 1,000 births. Most birth injuries are preventable when a doctor or nursing staff member properly monitors a laboring mother and unborn baby during the labor and delivery process and promptly addresses any underlying or developing issues with appropriate measures. Unfortunately, improper maneuvers by a medical provider during delivery can result in birth injuries, including nerve damage to an infant.

When a delivery goes wrong due to improper medical maneuvers, families may need to consult a Phoenix birth injury lawyer to determine whether medical negligence caused avoidable nerve damage during delivery.

Understanding Medical Maneuvers During Labor and Delivery

Obstetricians and labor-and-delivery staff are trained to respond to complications using established, step-by-step maneuvers designed to reduce risk to both mother and baby. These maneuvers are typically used during emergencies such as:

• Shoulder dystocia, when the baby’s shoulder becomes lodged behind the mother’s pubic bone
• Breech presentation, when the baby is positioned feet- or buttocks-first

When shoulder dystocia occurs, providers are expected to begin with the least invasive maneuvers and escalate only if necessary. Commonly accepted maneuvers include:

• McRoberts Maneuver: flexing the mother’s thighs toward her chest to widen the pelvis
• Suprapubic pressure: applying controlled pressure to dislodge the infant’s shoulder
• Rubin II maneuver: rotating the baby’s shoulder toward the chest
• Delivery of the posterior arm: reducing shoulder width
• Woods Corkscrew Maneuver: rotating the infant’s shoulders in a controlled circular motion

Deviation from this progression, such as using forceful or advanced maneuvers too early, can place dangerous stress on an infant’s neck, shoulders, and nerves.

When are the Effects of Improper Medical Maneuvers During Delivery?

A doctor’s use of medical maneuvers may be improper if they choose to use a birthing maneuver when it isn’t appropriate for the complication, when there is no complication, or when they misapply the technique. Improperly using medical maneuvers during delivery can result in the following:

• Forcep marks, bruising, abrasions, or swelling
• Caput Succedaneum, or swelling of the infant’s scalp due to vacuum extractor use
• Jaundice resulting from bruising
• Skull fractures
• Collarbone fractures
• Brain injuries

Improper maneuvers may also cause injury to the mother, including vaginal and rectal tears. Unfortunately, the improper use of medical maneuvers during childbirth may also result in permanent nerve damage to a child.

Types of Nerve Damage In Birth-Injured Children

Birth trauma caused by the improper use of birthing maneuvers can leave an infant with permanent nerve injury, resulting in the following conditions:

• Erb’s Palsy, or weakness or paralysis of the arm and shoulder, caused by injury to the brachial plexus nerve
• Klumpke’s Palsy, or injury to the lower portion of the brachial plexus nerve, with weakness in the lower arm and hand
• Facial nerve palsy caused by injury to the nerves on one side of the infant’s face
• Cranial nerve injuries resulting in conditions such as laryngeal nerve injury affecting the child’s voice and swallowing reflex, or phrenic nerve injury causing difficulty breathing
• Facial paralysis
• Spinal cord injury resulting in paraplegia or quadriplegia 

Few medical malpractice injuries are as distressing as a birth injury to a newborn, especially permanent nerve damage with life-altering effects for the child and family.

Legal Responsibility for Nerve Damage Caused During Birth

When a medical provider’s improper use of delivery maneuvers causes preventable nerve damage, it may constitute medical malpractice. In these cases, families may pursue compensation for:

• Past and future medical expenses
• Physical and occupational therapy
• Assistive equipment and home modifications
• Pain, suffering, and diminished quality of life
• Emotional distress suffered by parents

Birth injuries involving permanent nerve damage impose lifelong consequences, and accountability matters.