What to Do If You Have Experienced Post-Partum Negligence

In the unfortunate event of a post-partum negligence, follow these steps for a brighter future.
  1. Focus on the wellbeing of yourself and your baby. Birth is a major life event, even when there are no complications in the care of your child afterward. You need to be well to parent well. That is why recovery should be your top priority. Rest to regain strength so you can enjoy and care of your new baby.
  2. Collect and preserve information related to your pregnancy, labour, and delivery. Even if your delivery went well, your health and the events during the antenatal, labour, and delivery stages are important for understanding your baby’s baseline health. A pregnancy journal or app can help you recall specifics.

    Save any records from the obstetrician, midwife, or hospital. Check your calendar and jot down notes about your pregnancy, labour, and delivery process. Write down what happened to your baby, who provided care to your baby, who was with you and your baby, what was said to you, and what you noticed being done (or not done). Make note if any medical professionals involved seemed “off” (e.g., angry, overworked, uninvolved, complaining, distracted, etc.).
  3. Collect and preserve information related to your baby since the birth. If you have taken your baby home from the hospital or health care facility, write down how your baby has been developing, whether your baby is meeting milestones, your baby’s function compared to siblings, and other day-to-day observations. While gathering text messages, emails, photos and videos, make note of all treatment providers, ongoing treatments, and diagnoses.

    Save any records from the pediatrician, family doctor, or hospital. Keep track of all related expenses (hospital parking, health care trips, hotels, meals, special foods, extra diapers, equipment purchases, time off work, etc.).
  4. Contact a lawyer. The full extent of your or your baby’s injuries is often not known for months or even years. Since the legal system is complicated and time intensive, it takes experience to know how to properly develop your claim. Calling a post-partum injury lawyer sooner than later can help strengthen your case and ease your worries while you and your baby recover. Consultations at Legate Injury Lawyers are free.
We’re here to listen

What to Do If You Have Experienced Post-Partum Negligence

In the unfortunate event of a post-partum negligence, follow these steps for a brighter future.
  1. Focus on the wellbeing of yourself and your baby. Birth is a major life event, even when there are no complications in the care of your child afterward. You need to be well to parent well. That is why recovery should be your top priority. Rest to regain strength so you can enjoy and care of your new baby.
  2. Collect and preserve information related to your pregnancy, labour, and delivery. Even if your delivery went well, your health and the events during the antenatal, labour, and delivery stages are important for understanding your baby’s baseline health. A pregnancy journal or app can help you recall specifics.

    Save any records from the obstetrician, midwife, or hospital. Check your calendar and jot down notes about your pregnancy, labour, and delivery process. Write down what happened to your baby, who provided care to your baby, who was with you and your baby, what was said to you, and what you noticed being done (or not done). Make note if any medical professionals involved seemed “off” (e.g., angry, overworked, uninvolved, complaining, distracted, etc.).
  3. Collect and preserve information related to your baby since the birth. If you have taken your baby home from the hospital or health care facility, write down how your baby has been developing, whether your baby is meeting milestones, your baby’s function compared to siblings, and other day-to-day observations. While gathering text messages, emails, photos and videos, make note of all treatment providers, ongoing treatments, and diagnoses.

    Save any records from the pediatrician, family doctor, or hospital. Keep track of all related expenses (hospital parking, health care trips, hotels, meals, special foods, extra diapers, equipment purchases, time off work, etc.).
  4. Contact a lawyer. The full extent of your or your baby’s injuries is often not known for months or even years. Since the legal system is complicated and time intensive, it takes experience to know how to properly develop your claim. Calling a post-partum injury lawyer sooner than later can help strengthen your case and ease your worries while you and your baby recover. Consultations at Legate Injury Lawyers are free.
We’re here to listen

Common Places Where Post-Partum Negligence Occurs

  • Hospitals
    • Delivery or operating room
    • Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)
    • Newborn nursery
  • Family doctor’s office
  • Midwife’s office
  • Outpatient neonatal or pediatric clinic

Common Post-Partum Medical Negligence Errors Include

  • Failure to detect and treat hyperbilirubinemia (jaundice)
  • Failure to treat meconium aspiration syndrome
  • Failure to monitor and manage neonatal glucose
  • Failure to detect and treat infection
  • Failure to treat or manage abnormal blood pressure
  • Failure to treat or manage oxygen levels or respiratory distress
  • Failure to properly use neonatal treatments such as cooling therapy, resuscitation, and medications
  • Failure to recognize, detect and treat injuries that may have occurred during birthing process (e.g., fractures, hemorrhaging, swelling, and bleeding)
  • Failure to refer patient to the appropriate level of hospital
  • Failure to refer patient to proper specialists
  • Failure to order appropriate/standardized tests
  • Misreading test results
  • Hospitals that are ill-equipped to handle newborns
  • Subpar or malfunctioning medical equipment
  • Untrained/unaccredited staff

Common Post-Partum Negligence Injuries

Legate Injury Lawyers helps families who’ve been experienced many types of postnatal injuries, including:

  • Brain damage
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Erb’s palsy
  • Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy
  • Perinatal stroke
  • Seizures
  • Hypoglycemic brain injury
  • Kernicterus
  • Bilirubin-induced neurologic dysfunction (BIND)
  • Spinal cord injury
  • Paralysis
  • Cardio-pulmonary disorders
  • Developmental disability or delays
  • Intellectual disability or delays
  • Learning disability or delays
  • Speech or language impairment
  • Hearing loss
  • Vision loss