Those of us in New York, especially those of us in New York City, may think that we have the best doctors in the world. However, even in one of the greatest cities in the world, birth injuries still do happen.
How common are birth injuries in New York?
Our state keeps track of this information. According to the New York State Department of Health, there were well over 200,000 live births in New York in 2019. Of these, about 2,000 or less than 1% had a birth injury. About a third of that percentage were brachial plexus injuries. Though, the remaining birth injuries included intracranial hemorrhages, clavicle fractures and other specified birth injuries.
How does New York compare nationally?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, New York has a much lower birth injury rate than the national average of about 2 per 1,000 live births in 2017. Though, California, Hawaii and Nevada all have lower birth injury rates than New York. Indeed, according to the U.S. News & World Report, our state’s healthcare system ranks 14th out of all 50 states in overall healthcare in 2021.
What can you do if your family is affected by a birth injury?
Birth injuries can be devastating. They have physical, emotional and lifelong financial impacts on families. And, if your family has suffered a birth injury, your family may have a medical malpractice claim against the medical care provider that caused the birth injury. Unfortunately, birth injury claims are incredibly complex, but they are vital to ensuring that you get the resources you need for your baby.