Premature labor can result in serious risks for both the mother and child. During premature labor, the infant is at risk for injury which may result in cerebral palsy, erb’s palsy, shoulder dystocia and brain injury.

The following are signs of premature labor. If any of these symptoms occur before 37 weeks of pregnancy, the mother and child is at serious risk of complications. If you, or a loved one, experience any of the following symptoms during pregnancy, consult a physician immediately.

Signs of Premature Labor:

• Back pain
• Pain, pressure or heaviness on the pubic bone
• Bloody or unusual vaginal discharge
• Contractions

The physician treating a mother during premature labor is responsible for providing reasonable care - this includes taking action to prevent serious injuries, such as cerebral palsy.

Birth trauma attorneys are currently working on cases involving serious or fatal injuries that occurred during birth due to the negligence of the medical staff.

          Shoulder Dystocia describes a situation where the baby’s head has been delivered, but the shoulders are stuck behind the mother’s pelvic bone and cannot be freed. Injuries resulting from shoulder dystocia include brachial plexus injuries (also known as Erb’s Palsy). These injuries damage the bundle (plexus) of nerves that control the shoulder, arm, wrist and hand muscles.

          If you or a loved one has suffered shoulder dystocia or any other type of birth injury, call a birth injury lawyer at Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP today, at 1-800-460-0606.

According to Reuters, the maker of Botox, Allergan, Inc. received a subpoena from both the U.S. Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia requesting documents regarding Botox and their promotional practices.

It is suspected that the subpoena is in relation to recent questions regarding the off-label use of Botox to treat disorders such as migraines and cerebral palsy.

Botox has been used to treat limb spasticity due to cerebral palsy, which is a disorder caused from damage to the cerebellum during birth.

In February, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that they were investigating the safety of Botox after reports were received of deaths associated with Botox injections.

Some of the reported deaths include children with cerebral palsy who were being treated with Botox. None of the reports included adults who were being treated for limb spasticity. In the United States, Botox is not approved to treat limb spasticity.

If your child, or the child of a loved one, has suffered severe illness or disability from premature birth due to the negligence of another, contact a birth trauma attorney at Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP at 1-800-460-0606. An experienced birth trauma lawyer will be able to evaluate if you are eligible to seek compensation.