Las Vegas Vacuum Extractor Injury Lawyers
Strong representation for newborns who suffer birth injuries in Nevada
During labor and delivery, doctors may need to use an assisted delivery procedure called vacuum extraction if a baby needs help passing through the mother’s birth canal. The physician places a plastic cup on the fetus’s head. The cup is attached to a vacuum pump. The vacuum extractors use suction and traction to help deliver the baby. The doctor then pulls the fetus through the canal. At Claggett & Sykes Law Firm, our Las Vegas vacuum extractor injury lawyers hold obstetricians and other healthcare providers accountable for improper procedures, pulling too hard, or failing to use a C-section procedure instead. We demand full compensation for any birth injuries that are caused by the improper use of vacuum extractors.
Quick Questions
- When do doctors consider using vacuum extraction in Las Vegas?
- What are the dangers of vacuum extraction for delivery?
- How can you prove a vacuum extractor caused my baby’s injuries?
- How much is my child’s vacuum extraction claim worth in Nevada?
- Do you have a Las Vegas vacuum extraction lawyer near me?
The Cleveland Clinic states that vacuum extraction may be considered during the “second stage” of labor when you’re trying to push your baby out. During this stage of labor, your delivery team should be monitoring your vital signs and the heart rate of your baby. If the labor isn’t progressing, your doctor will look for ways to help with the delivery. One possible way is the use of vacuum extraction. Other methods include the use of forceps. Whether a doctor uses vacuum extraction or forceps delivery usually depends on your doctor’s training and experience.
Before vacuum extraction is considered, your medical team will review whether your baby’s head is low enough in the birth canal and your baby is in the proper position. Vacuum extraction is used in about 2.5 percent of vaginal births in the US. The Cleveland Clinic goes on to say, “Assisted vaginal delivery is only indicated under specific conditions. If those conditions aren’t met, your provider might recommend a cesarean instead.”
Some of the factors that suggest the use of vacuum extraction include prolonged labor in the second stage, your baby’s heart rate is “non-reassuring” (meaning the baby is likely not getting enough oxygen) or the mother can’t push anymore.
Before using vacuum extraction, your medical team may consider giving the mother oxygen through a mask, giving the mother fluids through a vein in her arm, and changing the mother’s position.
Vacuum extraction is generally considered inadvisable if your baby is premature, isn’t expected to fit through the birth canal, is not in the correct position, is not in a headfirst position, or is bleeding.
Per the Cleveland Clinic, doctors shouldn’t continue with vacuum extraction:
- “When it’s been attempted for 20 minutes.
- When the cup has detached from your baby's head multiple times.
- When there is any sign of trauma to the baby’s scalp.”
After the vacuum extraction procedure, your Las Vegas medical team should look for any signs of wounds in both the mother and newborn. Generally, the medical team will monitor your health and your baby’s health for up to 10 hours. If the vacuum extraction doesn’t deliver your baby, a C-section is normally the next step.
Some of the known risks for the mother, according to the Cleveland Clinic, include vaginal tears, postpartum bleeding, and problems with urination and incontinence.
Short-term risks for the newborn include:
- Caput succedaneum. This is swelling of the scalp. Your newborn’s head may be cone shaped. The condition should resolve in a few days.
- Bruising/jaundice. The risk of neonatal jaundice increases if the scalp bruises. Jaundice is a “temporary yellowing of the baby’s skin “due to increased bilirubin from the breakdown of red blood cells.” It should resolve in a few weeks.
- Cephalohematoma. This condition “is a collection of blood between the baby’s scalp and skull, caused by damaged blood vessels. Because the pooled blood is on the outside of the skull, it doesn’t affect the brain and is considered a minor injury.” While it should resolve in one or two weeks, infections can cause serious harm, including sepsis.
More serious dangers from the improper use of vacuum extractors in Las Vegas include:
- Skull fractures. The skulls of newborns are soft. Severe fractures cause bleeding in the brain, which creates a range of dangers, starting with brain damage. Some fractures may require surgery.
- Intracranial hemorrhaging. This condition involves bleeding either in or around the brain. The condition can be serious and can cause brain damage.
- Subgaleal hemorrhaging. This condition happens:
- When the emissary veins in the baby’s head are ruptured and blood accumulates within the connective tissue between the skull and the scalp. Because of the volume of blood that can accumulate there, this condition can cause hemorrhagic shock and death if it’s not identified and treated soon enough. It usually develops gradually over the days following delivery. SGH occurs in roughly .6% of vacuum-assisted deliveries
Other birth injury risks include seizures, strokes, and cerebral palsy.
In vacuum-assisted deliveries, the following conduct may be considered negligent:
- Failing to monitor the fetus’s heart rate during labor
- Waiting too long to consider alternative birth delivery methods
- Trying vacuum extractions while your baby was in the wrong position in the birth canal
- Pulling too hard
- Using the wrong technique
- Trying the vacuum extractors for too long
- Not performing a C-section considering the status of the delivery
- Not responding to loss of oxygen, bleeding disorders, and other dangers
At Claggett & Sykes Law Firm, our respected Las Vegas birth injury lawyers are skilled at showing how doctors and other healthcare professionals were negligent. We achieve this goal in many ways, including showing that the doctor agreed to deliver your baby, the doctor failed to comply with acceptable standards of care for birth deliveries, and this failure caused your newborn harm.
- We review all the medical records of your pregnancy, including what happened during the surgery. If a lawsuit is filed, we will formally question your obstetrician, midwife, nurses, anesthesiologist, and all other healthcare professionals who were involved in the use of vacuum extractors.
- We review your case with experienced Las Vegas medical professionals who testify as to the correct procedures when emergencies arise in the delivery room. These doctors will also testify whether the doctor who performed your delivery acted competently.
- Our lawyers work with physicians who understand what injuries your child has, the medical care your child will need, the cost of that care, the complications that may arise, and your child’s quality of life.
Our lawyers are skilled at fighting the high-priced defense lawyers that doctors and hospitals usually employ.
After your child suffers a vacuum extraction injury, you should contact us immediately. You have a limited time to file your claim on behalf of your child. We demand full compensation for your child’s current and future damages, which can include:
- Your child’s medical expenses
- The pain and suffering of the child
- The loss of bodily functions
- Loss of enjoyment of life
Please know that Nevada caps the non-economic part of your claim on behalf of your child. We’ll explain what limits apply.
The good news is you can afford a Las Vegas birth injury lawyer from our firm. We handle these claims on a contingency basis. This means we only receive compensation if you receive compensation.
Do you have a Las Vegas vacuum extraction lawyer near me?
We meet families at our Las Vegas office located at 4101 Meadows Lane, Suite 100. We’re near Springs Preserve and Meadows Mall. We also conduct consultations by phone and through video. When necessary, we’ll meet you and your child at your home or a healthcare facility. We’ll guide you step-by-step through this difficult time.
Talk with our Las Vegas vacuum extractor injury lawyer now
We understand your pain. You expected that you would take home a healthy infant and now must worry about your child’s injuries – possibly for the rest of his/her life. At Claggett & Sykes Law Firm, we’re skilled at representing children who have catastrophic injuries. We’re respected by former clients, insurance carriers, and the legal community for our strong advocacy and our record of impressive verdicts and settlements. To schedule a free consultation with a Las Vegas vacuum extractor injury lawyer, call us or fill out our contact form today.