Bloomfield Hills medical malpractice attorney Thomas L. Stroble says he supports a group of 16 hospitals that have adopted new procedures aimed at preventing birth injuries and deaths.
Bloomfield Hills, MI (Vocus/PRWEB) April 12, 2011
Michigan medical malpractice lawyer Thomas L. Stroble said today that he was encouraged to see a group of 16 Midwest hospitals revising their practices in order to better protect the safety of infants during childbirth.
According to a recent Wall Street Journal report, the hospitals belonging to Ascension Health, Fairview Health Services and the University of Minnesota Public Health systems have seen a major reduction in birth injuries and deaths since they began using a series of safety protocols, or “care bundles,” in the summer of 2008.
“I believe attorneys representing families who have experienced the tragedy of a birth injury have forced hospitals to take a hard look at what’s wrong with their practices, and to their credit, these hospitals have acted to fix those problems,” said Stroble, a Bloomfield Hills personal injury attorney and founder of the Oakland County-based Michigan Injury Lawyers, P.C.
“These new practices, in particular, improve communication and teamwork so that doctors and nurses can react quickly when difficulties arise,” Stroble said. “Based on our law firm’s experience, it’s that failure to react to problems such as shoulder dystocia that often leads to serious birth injuries that can impact the child and parents for the rest of their lives.”
The “care bundles” were developed as part of an obstetrics safety program by North Carolina-based Premier Inc. in 2008, according to the Wall Street Journal. The newspaper said the practices have been aimed at addressing five of the most common delivery-room errors:
- Waiting too long to initiate a C-section;
- Failing to recognize infant distress;
- Failing to properly resuscitate the infant;
- Improperly administering labor-inducing drugs that trigger allergic reactions in mothers; and
- Misusing vacuums and forceps, which can cause scalp lacerations and hemorrhaging.
After adopting the procedures, the hospitals saw birth injuries drop by 11.6 percent, while cases in which the baby was deprived of oxygen fell by 31.4 percent, the WSJ reports. Insufficient oxygen is one of the leading causes of brain damage in infants and can trigger cerebral palsy, which is an incurable, debilitating condition, according to Stroble.
“As our birth injury lawyers have seen in many cases, even the slightest hesitance to respond to a birth emergency can have a devastating effect,” Stroble said. “That’s why it is important for hospitals to constantly work on improving their practices and procedures, as these hospitals are admirably doing today. They are working hard to fulfill their duties to their patients.”
When a hospital, doctor or nurse fails to fulfill its duty of following proper delivery-room practices, it is important to contact an experienced Michigan birth injury lawyer, Stroble said.
“Our law firm strongly believes that by holding negligent health care providers responsible for the harm they cause, we not only protect the rights of our clients but also help to protect future mothers, infants and families from having to go through the same painful tragedy,” he said.
About The Michigan Injury Lawyers, P.C.
The Michigan Injury Lawyers, P.C. is a full-service Bloomfield Hills, MI personal injury law firm that represents medical malpractice victims and their families throughout the state of Michigan, including Macomb County, Oakland County, Warren, Clinton Township, Sterling Heights, St. Clair Shores, Mount Clemens, Utica, Roseville, Troy, Farmington Hills, Waterford, Southfield, Pontiac, Birmingham, Rochester Hills, West Bloomfield and Bloomfield Hills. The firm assists clients in cases involving brain injuries, birth injuries (including cerebral palsy), anesthesia errors, surgical errors, incorrect administration of medicine, emergency room errors, cancer misdiagnosis, C. difficile Infections and nursing home neglect and abuse. To learn more about The Michigan Injury Lawyers, P.C. call (248) 454-0800 or (888) 454-0801 or use the firm’s online contact form.