Shoulder dystocia occurs during delivery when one of the baby's shoulders gets caught behind the mother's pelvic bone after delivery of the head and is a major cause of birth injuries. Once in this position, the baby is essentially "stuck" and assistance is required to completely deliver the baby. Shoulder dystocia is a high risk situation and must be treated immediately. If the baby is not delivered within a certain time frame, severe injury or death may occur as the pressure on the umbilical cord can cut off the baby's blood and oxygen supply.

While not incredibly common - shoulder dystocia occurs in babies between 4.5 to 8 pounds around .06% to 1.5% of the time and 5% to 9% of the time in babies weighing between 8 to 10 pounds - shoulder dystocia is somewhat unpredictable. Common risk factors include:

- A prior experience with shoulder dystocia

- Mothers with diabetes

- Mothers who are obese

- Mothers who are pregnant with more than one baby

- Mothers pregnant with large babies (greater than 8 pounds)

- Giving birth after the due date (beyond 40 weeks)

- Getting an epidural

- Induced labor

- Having an operative birth (that is, birth assisted by forceps or a vacuum)

In case of shoulder dystocia, the obstetrician has several options to assist in delivering the child, including:

- Changing the position of the mother, specifically by having her lie on her back with her legs pushed outwards and up toward her chest (this is known as the McRoberts Maneuver)

- Apply pressure on the mother's abdomen above the public bone in an attempt to release the baby's shoulder.

- Actually reaching into the birth canal and repositioning the baby.

Care must be administered immediately. Malpractice often occurs when the doctor uses an improper technique or fails to act quickly. As noted above, failing to act quickly can result in severe birth injuries such as brain damage or even death due to compression of the umbilical court, which cuts off the baby's supply of blood and oxygen. Exerting too much pressure on the child while attempting to remove the child can cause fractures to the baby's shoulder, neck or spinal cord. Similarly, an improper use of force or technique when delivering the child may result in injury to the series of nerves in the baby's shoulder, referred to as a brachial plexus injury. While some injuries to the brachial plexus will heal with time, many such injuries can lead to devastating complications, such as Erb's Palsy, a condition which can lead to permanent paralysis, skin damage and infections in the injured arm.

If your child suffered a birth injury as a result of shoulder dystocia, medical malpractice may have played a role. The complexities involved in holding the doctor accountable require an experienced attorney. Alvin F. de Levie and his team have decades of experience pursuing justice for victims of malpractice. Please contact the Law Offices of Alvin F. de Levie today at (215) 351-1100 to discuss your case.