• Lack of Oxygen
• Pharmaceuticals
• Large Babies
• Unusual Position
• Excessive Force
• C-Section
• Premature Birth
• Cephalopelvic Disproportion
• Dystocia
• Prolonged Labor

As you experience your first stabs of labor pain, you will likely ask, “Will I have a long delivery?” Even though you’ve researched how long the typical labor lasts, you also know that hours in labor can vary from mother to mother. So, how do you know if your delivery lasted too long and caused health troubles for your baby? These questions can only be answered on a case-by-case basis. Typically, however, there are two factors that indicate possible danger for birth injury during an extended labor:

1. If your baby got trapped in the birth canal with no oxygen supply.
2. If your water broke and your physician didn’t ensure that you delivered within 24 hours.

Both of these prolonged labor indicators substantially increase the chance of brain damage to your infant, which is a key factor in the development of cerebral palsy. Extended or strenuous labor, also known as dystocia, can cause birth injury, particularly if labor lasts more than 18 hours. Prolonged delivery can head to uterine hyperstimulation, or excessive stimulation of the uterus. This condition may produce an unsafe deprivation of oxygen to the fetus as well as umbilical cord compression. A prolonged delivery due to any of the following can have an adverse impact on the health of a child:

• A hesitation in ordering or performing a cesarean section
• Misuse of a delivery drug such as Pitocin
• Improper use of a vacuum extractor or forceps
• Inadequate resuscitation
• Failure of medical personnel to monitor the infant after birth
• Failure to adequately treat infections

If you believe that your child may have suffered a birth injury due to prolonged labor and you would like to know your legal options, you should immediately speak with an experienced Florida birth injury lawyer. Click here for help.