During CA’s delivery, her interior shoulder became impacted. The treating obstetrician applied a downward traction, and nurses applied fundal pressure delivering CA within 2 minutes. Fundal pressure is when a healthcare professional presses on a woman’s abdomen to help move the baby out.
In this case, CA suffered an avulsion at C5-6, which necessitated surgery. CA is now 4 and she has permanent disfigurement.
The family of CA sued the hospital in which the child was born, alleging that its staff mishandled the shoulder dystocia by choosing not to perform the McRoberts maneuver and apply superpubic pressure.
The McRoberts maneuver is usually employed during childbirth. It involves hyperflexing the mother’s legs tightly to her abdomen. This would allow the rotation of the pelvis of the mother to facilitate the release of the unborn child’s shoulder. Suprapubic pressure is used by a closed fist over the mother’s pubic bone pushing in an inward and downward motion.This would improve the chances that the baby’s shoulder would pass under the pubic bone of the mother and be delivered vaginally.
As a result of the permanent injury suffered by CA, the jury entered a verdict of $3.7 million.
Kreisman Law Offices has been handling birth injury cases for families who have been harmed, injured or died as a result of the carelessness or negligence of another for more than 37 years in and around Chicago, Cook County and its surrounding areas, including Roselle, Barrington, Carpentersville, Algonquin, Cary, Glenview, Vernon Hills, Elk Grove Village, Elmhurst, Chicago (Englewood), Chicago (Garfield Ridge), Palos Hills, Matteson, Chicago Heights, Crete, Monee and Homewood, Ill.
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