Babies have very soft skulls, which makes sense, given the fact that the child needs to squeeze out of the birth canal. The brain also continues to grow as the child ages, so the skull must grow along with it. However, skulls are also vulnerable to injury, in particular fracture,…
According to Fierce Healthcare, surgical errors are the second leading cause of medical malpractice claims against doctors. This information comes from the liability insurer Coverys, which looked at five years’ worth of malpractice claims. Alleged surgical errors accounted for roughly 1 in 4 medical malpractice claims. This was second only…
Umbilical cord infections are a serious danger for newborns. Annually, almost 3 million newborns die, and almost 1 in 8 of those deaths are due to infections. Doctors should make sure that the umbilical cord is clean and dry to promote health. Now, the World Health Organization (WHO) is warning…
Since at least 2009, researchers have identified a link between the use of antidepressants early in pregnancy and heart defects. But a recent case-control study has linked use of certain antidepressants with a higher risk of other defects. It has also found that certain antidepressants can cause defects other than…
Surgical teams rely on many tools to help them safely do their jobs. However, in too many cases today, surgeons end up forgetting to remove all implements before sewing a patient back up. When implements are left behind, patients can suffer pain and possibly need to undergo a second, costly…
Mothers who have epilepsy are at an increased risk of having a child with a birth defect or minor abnormality. The drugs that mothers take could, unwittingly, contribute to a birth defect, so it is important to pay close attention to what prescriptions a doctor prescribes while you are pregnant….
Robots are supposed to reduce the number of errors committed in surgery and be generally less invasive. Among the alleged advantages are smaller incisions and faster recovery times. Unfortunately, many people are seriously injured when robots malfunction. These machines have been known to make sudden, unexpected movements or to experience…
A doctor’s letter to the New York Times contains a startling admission: hospitals have made many errors while treating patients during the recent coronavirus pandemic. And some of the errors can cause serious injury or possibly result in death. Because doctors rarely admit that they make mistakes, this is a…
Florida is slowly emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed hundreds of our fellow residents. However, one issue thrust into the spotlight is legal liability for how doctors, nursing homes, and other medical facilities have handled the crisis. The sad reality is that some deaths probably were preventable had…
A Cesarean section (C-section) is a method of delivering a baby by cutting into a mother’s abdomen and uterus. Many c-sections are planned well in advance, whereas others are emergency procedures in response to a complication that arises during labor and delivery. According to statistics, about 1 in 3 babies…
