Chicago Umbilical Cord Birth Injury Attorney
The umbilical cord is an important part of every pregnancy, allowing a fetus to grow in the womb and to receive the oxygen, blood, and nutrients necessary to reach full term for a healthy newborn. Yet certain umbilical cord conditions and complications can result in severe birth injuries, including debilitating defects and stillbirths. When a healthcare provider fails to accurately identify and treat an umbilical cord condition or complication, that healthcare provider may be liable. An experienced Chicago umbilical cord birth injury attorney at our firm can help.
What is the Umbilical Cord?
What is an umbilical cord? According to the Cleveland Clinic, the umbilical cord “is the baby’s lifeline to the mother during pregnancy” because it “transports nutrients to the baby and also carries away the baby’s waste products.” The umbilical cord has two arteries and one vein, and is a “flexible tube-like structure that has a spongy appearance” and is “surrounded by a jelly-like substance. After a child is born, a healthcare provider will clamp and cut the umbilical cord, which results in an umbilical cord stump. If the stump is not properly cared for after childbirth, it can become infected. Otherwise, it naturally turns colors from yellowish to brownish to black, and then it dries and falls off.
As the March of Dimes explains further, an umbilical cord will begin to form during the fourth week or pregnancy or thereabouts, and it will ultimately grow to be approximately 22 inches long in normal pregnancies.
How Do Umbilical Cord Injuries Occur in Chicago?
Umbilical cord injuries can occur during pregnancy, during labor and delivery, or even after childbirth when the umbilical cord stump exists. The March of Dimes underscores that most umbilical cord conditions will not result in harm to a baby, but some umbilical cord issues can lead to birth defects or to stillbirths. In general, birth injuries can happen when an umbilical cord does not grow enough or grows too much, when it is not properly connected to the placenta, when it gets knotted, or when it gets squeezed.
Any of these serious types of umbilical cord conditions should be properly identified by a healthcare provider through an ultrasound and should be treated to avoid further complications or harm to your baby.
Common Types of Chicago Umbilical Cord Injuries and Complications
The following are types of umbilical cord issues that result in birth injuries and stillbirths, according to the March of Dimes:
- Umbilical cord prolapse;
- Single umbilical artery;
- Vasa previa;
- Nuchal cord, or umbilical cord getting wrapped around the baby’s neck;
- Umbilical cord knots; and
- Umbilical cord cyst.
Contact an Umbilical Cord Birth Injury Lawyer in Chicago
If your baby was born with birth defects that may have resulted from an undiagnosed or negligently managed umbilical cord condition or complication, or if you experienced a stillbirth, it is important to seek advice from one of our Chicago umbilical cord birth injury attorneys. You could be eligible to file a negligence claim against the healthcare provider who is responsible for the harm. Contact Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman, LLC today to learn more.
