If your baby experienced a difficult delivery and you still don’t have clear answers, you are not alone, and you are right to keep asking. This guide gives you 15 specific, medically informed questions to ask doctors, specialists, and nurses. Knowing the right questions can help you cut through confusion, protect your child’s future care, and determine whether a preventable event may have occurred.
Why the First Questions You Ask Can Shape Everything That Follows
After a traumatic delivery, families are often given fragmented information in corridors, waiting rooms, and discharge meetings, rarely in a calm, comprehensive conversation. Medical records contain details that verbal updates miss. The sooner you begin documenting, requesting records, and asking precise questions, the clearer your picture becomes.
Birth injuries involving oxygen deprivation, delayed C-section, or missed fetal distress are often reflected in records that most parents never think to request. A birth injury attorney reviews these same documents. You have every right to them, too.
15 Questions to Ask the Medical Team After a Possible Birth Injury
- What is my baby’s exact diagnosis, and what caused it?
- Were there any signs of fetal distress on the monitoring strips, and when did those signs first appear?
- What were my baby’s Apgar scores at 1 minute and 5 minutes after birth, and what do those numbers mean?
- Was oxygen deprivation (hypoxia or asphyxia) suspected at any point before, during, or after delivery?
- Were there any abnormal fetal heart rate patterns such as late decelerations, minimal variability, or bradycardia during labor?
- Was an emergency C-section considered? If so, when was the decision made, and what was the time between that decision and the delivery?
- What interventions were attempted before delivery, such as repositioning, oxygen, IV fluids, or stopping Pitocin?
- What imaging has been ordered or performed, such as MRI or cranial ultrasound, and when will the results be available?
- Were umbilical cord blood gas samples taken at birth, and what did they show?
- Was therapeutic cooling (hypothermia therapy) used or considered? If not, why not?
- Which specialists will be involved in my baby’s care: neurology, neonatology, and developmental pediatrics?
- Were there any staffing handoffs, communication delays, or escalation issues during my labor that I should know about?
- Were my risk factors, such as a large baby, prior C-section, prolonged labor, or diabetes, documented and managed during delivery?
- Can you walk me through my labor and delivery notes and explain what each entry means?
- What follow-up evaluations, therapies, and imaging should I schedule, and how soon?
Which Records to Request Immediately Before Details Disappear
Hospitals are required to maintain labor and delivery records, but time is of the essence. Request these documents as soon as possible, even if you are still processing what happened:
- Complete labor and delivery nursing notes
- Fetal monitoring strips (electronic fetal monitoring printout) for all hours of labor
- Operative report if a C-section or assisted delivery (forceps/vacuum) was performed
- Anesthesia records
- Neonatal resuscitation notes
- NICU admission records and daily notes
- Cord blood gas results (pH, base excess, pO2, pCO2)
- All imaging reports: cranial ultrasound, MRI, CT scan
- Discharge summary for both mother and baby
- Physician and specialist consultation notes
Under HIPAA, you have the legal right to request complete records. Do not accept only the discharge summary; request everything.
How to Document What You’re Learning Without Making It Worse
You don’t need to be an attorney or a nurse to document effectively. Use these simple steps:
- Start a spiral notebook or phone note titled with your baby’s name and the delivery date.
- Write down every provider’s name, title, and what they said, with date and time.
- Record what you were told vs. what you read in the records when you compare them.
- Keep a folder or Google Drive with all documents organized by date.
- Note anything that surprised you or didn’t match earlier explanations.
When the Answers Aren’t Coming: Signs You May Need a Second Opinion or Legal Review
Trust your instincts. If any of these describe your situation, it may be time to speak with a birth injury attorney. Most offer free consultations and no fee unless they win your case:
- Your child has received a diagnosis of cerebral palsy, HIE, Erb’s palsy, or developmental delay
- The medical team has been vague, inconsistent, or avoidant about what happened
- You’ve noticed the birth records contain gaps, late entries, or contradictions
- Your child required NICU care, therapeutic cooling, or resuscitation at birth
- You feel the C-section was delayed, interventions were missed, or alarms were ignored
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the first questions to ask if I think my baby suffered a birth injury?
Start with the fundamentals: What is the diagnosis? Was there medical malpractice? Were there signs of fetal distress? When was oxygen deprivation first suspected? What interventions were attempted? These four questions will open the right conversations with your care team and lay the groundwork if you decide to pursue legal review.
Can I request my baby’s complete labor and delivery records?
Yes. Under HIPAA, you have the legal right to your baby’s complete medical records. Submit a written request to the hospital’s medical records department and specify every category of nursing notes, fetal monitoring strips, operative notes, imaging, and NICU records. Hospitals typically have 30 days to respond.
What records are most important after a suspected birth injury?
The fetal monitoring strips, cord blood gas results, anesthesia records, and operative notes are among the most legally and medically significant. These documents can show the timeline of distress, whether the team responded appropriately, and whether delivery delays occurred.
When should parents seek a second opinion or consult an attorney?
If your child has a significant diagnosis, particularly cerebral palsy, HIE, brachial plexus injury, or another birth-related condition, and the explanation you’ve received feels incomplete or inconsistent, speaking with a birth injury attorney is a reasonable and risk-free step. Most offer free case evaluations and work on a contingency basis.
📞 FREE CASE REVIEW: If something felt wrong during your delivery, your records may hold the answers. Get a free birth injury case review, no fee unless we win. Speak with a birth injury attorney today for a free consultation, no fee unless you win.