A jury in New York awarded $19.6 million to a family who filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against a hospital and medical staff. The jury found the hospital liable for birth trauma which resulted in injuries to the baby and the mother.

The lawsuit claimed that the child was born with cerebral palsy after suffering brain damage during birth. The baby suffered from head trauma and was deprived of oxygen during the delivery. During attempts to resuscitate the infant, a breathing tube was mistakenly inserted into the esophagus of the infant, resulting in further trauma.

The mother suffered a severe birth canal laceration that was not properly repaired by the attending physician, resulting in permanent damage.

Birth injury attorneys are working on cases in which medical staff did not provide a reasonable level of care, resulting in severe injuries from medical negligence.

According to a study conducted by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center, current techniques to prevent brain injury in babies born with birth trauma may actually cause harm.

The standard treatment for an infant who is deprived of oxygen due to birth trauma is to supply the infant with 100 percent oxygen. Researchers discovered that mice who were treated with 100 percent oxygen after developing brain damage due to lack of oxygen suffered from higher rates of brain cell death and long-term disabilities, such as cerebral palsy.

The study was lead by Dr. Steven Kernie.

Birth injury attorneys are working to help children and their families who are suffering from the long-term consequences of birth trauma.