Forceps are a medical tool sometimes used to help guide a baby out of the birth canal during a difficult delivery. When used correctly, they can prevent serious complications by helping to avoid prolonged labor or distress. However, when used incorrectly or without proper care, forceps can cause serious birth injuries.
Forceps-related injuries may affect the baby, the mother, or both. In some cases, the harm caused by improper forceps use can have lifelong consequences. Understanding what can go wrong and why is an important first step for parents who suspect that a medical error might have occurred during childbirth.
Why Forceps Are Used During Delivery
Forceps deliveries are typically considered when labor is not progressing, when the baby is showing signs of distress, or when the mother is too exhausted to continue pushing effectively. The medical provider may place the forceps around the baby’s head to gently pull and guide the baby out as the mother pushes.
Forceps deliveries require a high degree of skill and care. The provider must use the correct size and shape of forceps, position them properly, and apply the right amount of traction. Even small errors in placement or force can result in severe trauma.
How Improper Forceps Use Can Cause Injury
Forceps-assisted delivery is considered a form of operative vaginal delivery, which means that it carries inherent risks that increase if the procedure is performed incorrectly.
Improper use of forceps can occur if the medical provider:
- Misjudges the baby’s position in the birth canal before applying the forceps
- Applies excessive pressure or force
- Fails to stop when complications arise
- Uses forceps when a C-section would have been the safer option
Common Birth Injuries Caused by Forceps Misuse
The injuries caused by improper forceps use can vary depending on the force applied, the location of pressure, and how long the baby was subjected to stress during delivery.
Among the most common birth injuries caused by forceps misuse are:
- Facial or head trauma: Bruising or lacerations on the face or scalp, skull fractures, intracranial bleeding, and facial nerve damage, which can cause temporary or permanent paralysis on one side of the baby’s face, can all occur due to forceps misuse.
- Brain injuries: When too much force is applied, it can cause internal bleeding or swelling within the brain. Such an injury may lead to hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) or other forms of brain damage that affect movement, coordination, and development.
- Eye injuries: Improper placement near the infant’s eyes can result in damage, leading to vision problems or blindness in severe cases.
- Shoulder and neck injuries: Pulling at the wrong angle can injure the baby’s brachial plexus nerves, causing weakness or paralysis in the shoulder, arm, or hand, commonly known as Erb’s palsy.
- Skull or brain compression injuries: Forceps apply direct pressure to the baby’s skull. If used with too much force, it can compress delicate tissues and result in developmental or neurological problems that appear weeks or months later.
- Maternal injuries: Improper forceps use can also cause significant harm to the mother, including vaginal tears, pelvic organ prolapse, and damage to the bladder or urethra.
When a Forceps Injury Might Indicate Medical Negligence
Medical negligence may have occurred if a medical provider:
- Used forceps despite evidence that a C-section was medically indicated
- Failed to obtain informed consent for the use of forceps
- Applied excessive force or pressure
- Did not monitor fetal distress during the procedure
When a medical provider acts negligently, and that negligence causes harm to a baby or mother, the family may have legal grounds to pursue a birth injury claim. If a family chooses to explore legal action, several forms of evidence may help establish what went wrong during delivery, such as medical records and delivery notes, fetal monitoring data indicating distress during labor, expert testimony from obstetric specialists about what should have been done differently, and more. An experienced birth injury attorney can review these materials to determine whether the provider’s actions meet the legal definition of negligence.
Seeking Accountability & Support After a Forceps-Related Birth Injury
Parents often feel helpless or confused after a traumatic birth, especially one that involves forceps misuse. Medical professionals may tell them that an injury was an unfortunate “complication,” even when warning signs suggest otherwise.
If your child suffered a serious injury after a forceps-assisted delivery, you may be able to hold the responsible parties liable through a legal claim. A birth injury attorney can help you investigate what happened, identify negligence, and pursue compensation to support your child’s medical and developmental needs.
At Decof, Mega & Quinn, P.C., we represent families in Rhode Island & Massachusetts in complex birth injury claims. Our legal team understands both the medical and emotional aspects of these cases and can help you take the next step toward answers and justice.
Call (401) 200-4059 now to request a free initial consultation with our birth injury claim team.