Understanding Injuries and Deaths in Labor and Delivery: What Every Patient Should Know
When you or a loved one goes to the hospital to have a baby, you expect a joyful experience. Most people do walk away with a healthy newborn, but the truth is that labor and delivery can involve real risks—sometimes with devastating consequences. As a law firm that represents injured patients, we believe it’s important to understand what can go wrong, how often it happens, and what your rights may be if it does.
How Common Are Injuries and Deaths During Labor and Delivery?
Let’s start with the numbers. In the United States, about 1 in every 1,000 babies suffers a birth injury, and roughly 7 in 1,000 children are affected overall. Some studies estimate that about 80% of these birth injuries are moderate to severe, meaning they can have lasting effects on the child’s health and development. Tragically, birth injuries are a factor in about 20% of the 20,000 infant deaths that happen in the U.S. each year.
For mothers, the risks are also real. The U.S. has one of the highest rates of maternal death among developed countries, with about 32.9 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births in 2021—a number that’s actually increased in recent years. Serious injuries that don’t result in death—what doctors call “severe maternal morbidity”—are even more common, affecting tens of thousands of women each year.
What Are the Most Common Types of Injuries?
For babies, birth injuries can range from minor bruises to serious nerve injuries (like brachial plexus injuries), bone fractures, brain damage from lack of oxygen, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, cerebral palsy or even death. Some of the most frequent issues include:
- Perineal lacerations (tears during vaginal delivery) are the most common complication for mothers, occurring in up to 37% of deliveries.
- Severe perineal injuries (third- or fourth-degree tears) can lead to long-term pain and complications).
- Instrument-assisted deliveries (using forceps or vacuum) and high birth weight (macrosomia) increase the risk of both maternal and infant injuries.
For mothers, life-threatening complications include:
- Severe bleeding (hemorrhage)
- Infections
- High blood pressure disorders (like preeclampsia)
- Blood clots and cardiovascular events
- Brain Damage or Death
Why Do These Injuries Happen?
Some injuries are unavoidable, but a significant portion are linked to preventable factors—like delayed C-sections, mismanagement of labor, improper use of delivery instruments, or failure to recognize fetal distress. Hospitals and staff have a responsibility to monitor both mother and baby closely, respond quickly to emergencies, and follow established safety protocols. When they fall short, the consequences can be tragic and life-altering.
What Can You Do If You or Your Baby Are Injured?
If you or your baby suffered a serious injury during labor and delivery, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed and unsure of your next steps. Medical providers and hospitals are not always upfront about what went wrong. That’s where experienced legal help comes in. A qualified birth injury attorney can investigate your case, obtain your records, and work with medical experts to determine if your injury was preventable—and if you’re entitled to compensation.
Final Thoughts
Childbirth should be safe for everyone. While not every bad outcome is someone’s fault, far too many families are left picking up the pieces after preventable errors. Our law firm is committed to helping injured patients understand their rights and get the answers—and justice—they deserve. If you have questions about what happened during your labor and delivery, don’t hesitate to reach out for a free, confidential consultation.
Girards Law Firm specializes in severe injury and wrongful death cases, especially those that involve birth injuries, brain damage, heart damage, spinal cord injuries or severe burns in Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma. Contact us at www.girardslaw.com by using the chat feature for more information.