Troubling Birth Injury Statistics By Sean Burke on January 18, 2016

At the Law Offices of Sean M. Burke, we handle personal injury cases of all types, but none surpass the tragedy of birth injury cases. The victims of birth injury literally have no voice with which to assert their rights. It is up to us to fight for these innocent victims and their families against the medical professionals whose negligence caused so much heartache during what was supposed to be a joyous occasion.

If your newborn child was harmed due to the negligence of one or more members of your birthing team, then you owe it to your baby and yourself to contact the Law Offices of Sean M. Burke today to arrange for an evaluation of your birth injury case. We will assess your claim and advise you of your legal rights and options.

In the meanwhile, we invite you to read the following birth injury statistics collected by Orange County, CA personal injury attorney Sean M. Burke. Sadly, they will demonstrate that you are far from alone in your suffering. Birth injuries occur far too frequently in this country - certainly, far more frequently than they have to. By taking legal action against those responsible for your family’s suffering, you can help to send a message to healthcare professionals everywhere that medical negligence is not acceptable, especially when innocent newborns are involved.

Statistics about Birth Injury

Cerebral palsy is the most commonly diagnosed birth injury, as well as the most common motor disability among children. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

Approximately 1 out of every 323 children has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
About 41 percent of children with cerebral palsy also had epilepsy.
About 6.9 percent of children with cerebral palsy had autism spectrum disorder.
The lifetime cost to care for someone with cerebral palsy is estimated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to be nearly $1 million.

While the statistics regarding cerebral palsy are certainly shocking, the statistics regarding birth injuries in general are equally startling. According to Childhood Symptoms: Every Parent’s Guide to Childhood Illnesses by Edward R. Brace, John P. Pacanowski, and Ed Weiner:

There are approximately seven birth injuries per 1,000 live births in the United States. This equates to 28,000 birth injures per year, 2,333 per month, 538 per week, 76 per day, and three per hour.

According to the National Healthcare Quality Report, in 2000:

More birth injuries occurred in private, not-for-profit hospitals (7.15 per 1,000 live births) than in private, for-profit hospitals (4.33 per 1,000 live births).
More birth injuries occurred to male babies (6.83 per 1,000 live births) than to female babies (5.06 per 1,000 live births).
More birth injuries occurred in larger hospitals (8.57 per 1,000 live births in hospitals with 300 to 499 beds) than in smaller hospitals (5.45 per 1,000 live births in hospitals with 100 to 299 beds).