Medical providers are in charge of caring for the pregnant mother and the baby before, during and just after the birth. When the quality of care is low and injury results, they can be held responsible.

Examples of low quality of care that can harm your baby include:

• Improper use of Pitocin (a drug used to induce labor)
• Improper or excessive use of vacuum extraction
• Improper use of delivery forceps
• Leaving baby in the birth canal too long causing a lack of oxygen to the brain
• Failure to perform a cesarean section (C-section) when fetus was in distress
• Failure to detect umbilical cord problems which reduce oxygen supply
• Failure to plan a cesarean section (C-section) for a potentially large birth weight
• Failure to deliver the baby when the bag of waters has been broken for too long
• Failure to order specific tests during pregnancy, or if tests were ordered, failure to interpret them correctly
• Failure to act on changes in the mother’s condition during pregnancy
• Failure to act on changes in the fetus’ condition during pregnancy
• Failure to diagnose and treat jaundice or meningitis