Illinois Birth Injury Lawyer

While most parents report normal healthy babies, birth-related issues are unfortunately quite common in Illinois. One method of measuring the prevalence of potential injuries during childbirth is to consider the statistics on Cesarean section events. Because the birthing process itself can be quite traumatic, doctors often opt for a Cesarean section birth whenever they notice potential complications.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, mothers in the state experienced 106,897 births in 2019 that were considered to have received adequate prenatal care. However, nearly 15,000 children were born preterm. That’s just over 14% of all births. Perhaps most surprisingly, 42,928 new births occurred via Cesarean section. That means the medical provider in nearly 2 out of 5 deliveries felt it necessary to take steps to avoid a traditional vaginal birth.

While it might be difficult to discover the precise reason for Cesarean births in every circumstance, there are a variety of reasons why this option is used. According to the March of Dimes, doctors often choose this method when complications are present. Examples may include infections in the birth canal, medical conditions like diabetes, or issues with the umbilical cord.

The birth rate is another indicator of potential problems or injuries with the unborn child. Around 11,835 children in Illinois were considered low birth weight in 2019. Of those, 1,993 were rated very low birth weight. That equates to almost 2% of all children born during that year.

With proper prenatal and delivery care, many potential birth injuries and health complications to the mother and newborn can be prevented. Your doctor and other medical professionals providing you care throughout your pregnancy and during the birth should be well-versed in potential health problems and injuries to you and your newborn and how to mitigate risks effectively and promptly.