Discovering you are having twins is a shocking experience. You know you have to double your baby registry, prepare for two college funds, and plan out extra space for the cribs. On the medical side, your doctors should also prepare to deliver two newborns, as well as any complications that can arise with twins. These cases present the same dangers as single infant births, including serious birth injuries, as well as unique risks that come with delivering two newborns.
Delivery Complications With Twins
When twins are present in utero, doctors should begin preparing early on for any potential complications. Frequent sonograms and tests can allow them to better understand how the pregnancy is moving along and what issues the twins may have, if any. In the right hands, the delivery of twins can go smoothly and ensure two healthy newborns.
However, these deliveries are inherently riskier and should be handled with care. Twin deliveries can involve dangerous birth injuries and complications, including:
- Umbilical cord complications
- Preeclampsia
- Placenta previa
- Premature births
- Postpartum hemorrhaging
- Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS)
- Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy
- Shoulder dystocia and brachial plexus injuries
- Death of either twin
How Negligence Contributes to Birth Injuries
Twin pregnancies need additional planning and preparation to ensure a healthy delivery. These cases should only be handled by those who are trained and experienced in multiple deliveries. Doctors should regularly review a mother’s and the infants’ conditions throughout the pregnancy and keep an eye out for complications like premature births.
Medical negligence occurs when doctors fail to provide the proper standard of care for a patient’s condition. During twin deliveries, negligent actions can include:
- Failure to plan for a C-section
- Failure to diagnose fetal distress
- Failure to monitor a mother’s or the twins’ conditions
- Failing to order the proper tests
- Misusing forceps or vacuums during birth
- Misdiagnosing a premature birth
- Placing too much pressure on an infant’s body during delivery
- Medication errors
If your child suffered a birth injury during a twin delivery due to medical negligence, then you should speak to a New York medical malpractice lawyer at Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro & Halperin, LLP. For decades, we have fought to get parents and injured children compensation for their injuries. We have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients through diligent and experienced legal representation. Let us do the same for you. Call us today at (212) 986-7353 to talk about what happened to your family in a free consultation.