Cephalohematoma

When blood starts to collect between a newborn's skull and membrane, the condition is called cephalohematoma. It is accompanied by a hard labor and delivery. It often appears many hours after the delivery, in the form of a lump raised on the baby's scalp. Many times it is a result of negligence on the part of doctors or medical staff. In some cases, the hematoma clears up and heals itself. While in other cases, babies may experience a series of health problems for several years.

There are many occurrences of medical errors that can result in cephalohematoma. Common medical malpractice that can lead to this type of birth injury are:

• Improper use of forceps during delivery
• Too much pressure during vacuum extraction
• Pulling the baby too hard during the delivery
• Wrong assessment of the weight of fetus before delivery

It is important to closely monitor babies having cephalohematoma. If there is a skull fracture, the baby may face various health issues and delays in development of motor skills, social interactions, and cognitive abilities. Such babies also have also a high risk of jaundice, anemia, and infections.

The cephalohematoma will clear up within a few months if there is no fracture. However, doctors should not attempt to drain the injury. Draining the cephalohematoma may make the condition worse and cause an infection. It is medical malpractice for doctors to do so. If an injury results due to a physician attempting or draining the cephalohematoma your child may be entitled to compensation for their injuries.

In some cases, no causes of cephalohematoma are known. That's why it is crucial to prove that it was indeed medical negligence that caused the injury to your baby. As a matter of fact, since a lawsuit for cephalohematoma comes under medical malpractice, it is a requirement to establish evidence of medical negligence. It is necessary to meet the following factors for a birth injury lawsuit:

• There must be a prior or existing medical relationship between the physician or medical staff and the birthing mother.
• Proof needs to be established that the medical staff did not maintain the medical standards necessary for childbirth leading to cephalohematoma.
• Lastly, we need to prove that the deviations from accepted medical standards caused injury.

Cephalohematoma lawsuits are sometimes difficult since sometimes it is hard to find the cause for the condition. Moreover, healthcare facilities often notoriously deny the culpability in case of medical negligence. If your child has suffered an injury related to cephalohematoma, please call 833-200-2000 or contact us for a free consultation. Our office has experienced lawyers to fully and fairly assess your potential case. Consultations are always free and you will never owe us anything unless we are able to recover compensation for your child.