When children suffer injuries at birth, it can be devastating for expectant parents. Some birth injuries are not severe, like minor bumps or bruises suffered in delivery. But other birth injuries to the brain or spinal cord, which can result in conditions like cerebral palsy and muscle spasticity, can be life-altering for your child and family.
Sadly, there are times when birth injuries occur because of substandard care or negligence on behalf of healthcare professionals. When this is the case, the affected families have the right to file a medical malpractice claim to recover funds for their suffering and pay for expenses like medicine, physical therapy and sometimes a lifetime of treatment.
What are some signs my child may have suffered a birth injury?
Everyone hopes their babies will be born healthy, so it can be agonizing when there are difficulties during childbirth. When more serious problems arise, babies sometimes must be admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), a special unit for newborns, for special treatment.
Listed below are some of the common reasons that babies are admitted to the NICU unit:
- Premature births. This is the most common reason babies are admitted to the NICU. Prematurely born babies often have difficulty controlling their body temperature and can exhibit unstable vital signs, so they are kept in an incubator to control the temperature, provided with IV hydration and high in calorie food while they develop.
- Infections. Babies delivered prematurely also run the risk of infections and may need to be kept in the NICU and administered antibiotics.
- Respiratory Distress Syndrome. Babies born with immature lungs can be treated in the NICU with an oxygen masks or breathing tube.
Other signs your baby may have suffered a birth injury include whether the healthcare team administered an MRI/Ultrasound, the baby suffered from seizures, head cooling was performed, or an emergency c-section was necessary during the delivery. However, speak with healthcare professionals and do not assume anything until you know for sure.
If you suspect your child or the child of a loved one was injured because of the negligence of a healthcare professional, you should contact an experienced medical malpractice attorney in your state.
If you suffer medical injury, our medical malpractice attorneys can help
With offices in Baltimore, Maryland, and Washington, DC, the law firm of Schochor, Staton, Goldberg, and Cardea, P.A. is known for its successful and compassionate legal representation of those who suffer medical injury or wrongful death. If you or a loved one suffer serious medical harm, contact us to set up a free consultation to discuss your case.