The point that confuses people most is that forceps use is not, by itself, an injury. A forceps delivery injury is harm to the baby, the mother, or both caused by the placement, traction, or rotation of forceps during an assisted vaginal birth. Forceps are metal instruments shaped to fit around the baby's head to help guide delivery when labor is not progressing or when immediate delivery is needed. Injury can occur if forceps are used when contraindicated, applied incorrectly, or used with excessive force.

For the baby, possible injuries include facial nerve palsy, skull fracture, intracranial hemorrhage, scalp or eye trauma, and oxygen-related brain injury if a difficult delivery is prolonged. For the mother, injuries can include severe perineal tears, pelvic floor damage, hemorrhage, and bladder or bowel trauma. Some effects resolve quickly; others lead to permanent neurologic injury, brachial plexus injury, or developmental impairment.

In an injury claim, the key questions are usually whether forceps were medically indicated, whether safer alternatives such as cesarean delivery should have been used, and whether the clinician met the standard of care during application and delivery. In Iowa, a forceps-related malpractice case is generally governed by Iowa Code section 614.1(9) (2024), which sets a 2-year statute of limitations from when the injury was, or should have been, known, with a 6-year outer statute of repose in most medical malpractice actions.