Complications of a Fractured Collarbone in a Newborn

Clavicle (collarbone) fractures are the most common birth injury sustained by newborns. In most cases, labor and delivery errors or birth trauma cause this condition. It’s rare for newborns to fracture their collarbone in modern hospitals in Louisville, such as UofL or Norton, in the absence of medical malpractice.

If your child is diagnosed with a broken clavicle, immediately contact the experienced birth injury attorneys at Wilt Injury Lawyers in Louisville to discuss your claim.

Symptoms of Fractured Clavicles in Infants

When newborns are in pain, they cry. Unfortunately, hospital staff may miss the reason for your newborn’s discomfort after birth. Fussiness, crying, and difficulty moving the affected arm are common symptoms of fractured collarbones in infants.

If your child will not calm down after feeding and you had a traumatic delivery, your newborn may be suffering from a broken clavicle. A bump may also form in the healed area in the weeks following birth, which is a common sign that your child suffered a birth injury.

An attorney with experience handling birth injury claims might help you recover compensation for the pain your child suffered before the condition was diagnosed. If your child is not moving his or her arm at all, one shoulder is lower than the other, and the newborn’s arm is hanging limp, these may be symptoms of a more serious shoulder nerve (brachial plexus) injury.

Common Causes of Broken Collarbones in Louisville

Medical malpractice is the most common cause of fractured collarbones in newborns. In most cases, broken clavicles are caused when a doctor fails to order a C-section for an overly large child, and the child’s shoulders get stuck in the birthing canal. This often requires OBGYNs and hospital staff to use forceps or excessive force to deliver the child, breaking the child’s collarbone in the process.

Although the use of force may be necessary to prevent greater harm during difficult deliveries, this does not excuse a doctor’s failure to perform a timely C-section or the negligent use of forceps. Our birth injury lawyers in Louisville can assist you in recovering compensation for medical expenses and pain and suffering in such cases.

Potential Complications from Clavicle Fractures Due to Birth Trauma

Because newborn bones are soft, they often heal quickly. The most common complication from fractured clavicles is pain and discomfort in the weeks following birth. However, broken collarbones might also cause another serious nerve condition called a brachial plexus injury.

The broken bone may damage the complex network of nerves in the child’s shoulder, causing the following complications in the affected limb:

• Inability to flex at the elbow
• Numbness
• Weakness
• Loss of sensation in the wrist or hand
• Dead arm
• Pain
• Burning
• Stinging

Brachial plexus injuries are serious birth injuries, often entitling children to compensation for medical bills, rehabilitation, and pain and suffering.

Talk to a Compassionate Birth Injury Attorney

At Wilt Injury Lawyers, our experienced medical malpractice attorneys have recovered millions for children injured during labor and delivery. If your child suffered from a fractured collarbone and related complications, call our legal professionals in Louisville at (502) 427-6813 or contact us online immediately to discuss your rights.