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.

Of all children that are born before the seventh month of pregnancy, at least one third suffer from disabilities. According to a French study, the earlier the birth, the higher the degree of disability.

The study focused on 1,817 five-year-old French children who were born pre-maturely, from 22 to 32 weeks. The cognitive skills of the children were assessed using a scale that is equivalent to an IQ test. Their motor skills, such as walking, hearing and vision were also assessed.

The results of these children were compared with the results of a second group of 396 children who had been full term deliveries.

Of the premature children, five percent suffered from severe disabilities, nine percent suffered from moderate disabilities and twenty-fiver percent had minor disabilities. This is in contrast to the full term children, 0.3 percent suffered from severe disabilities, three percent had moderate disabilities and eight percent had minor disabilities.

The authors of the study interpret these results as meaning that the more premature a baby is born, the higher the chances of disability.

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.