Baltimore, MD Infant Brain Damage Attorneys
Malpractice Attorney For Infant Brain Damage Cases From Birth Injury Serving the Maryland and DC Areas
According to Healthgrades.com, seven per 1,000 births in the United States involve a birth injury, but when it is your baby who has suffered irreversible brain damage due to medical malpractice or medical negligence, statistics mean little. You want justice, and you have the right to seek compensation. The responsible parties must be held accountable for the error that resulted in permanent injury to your baby. At Stecco Law, P.C., we have years of experience with birth injury cases. We are committed to seeking justice for our injured clients.
Common Causes For Brain Injuries at Birth
While childbirth is a routine procedure that happens hundreds of times each day in hospitals all over the country, care must be taken to make sure that this delicate process is handled with care for the mother and the infant. Here are some of the factors that can lead to brain injury at birth:
Delay in delivery. If a mother goes into labor and delivery is delayed for an unreasonable amount of time, the consequences for the baby can be serious. When doctors or nurses fail to properly manage the labor or take too long to decide to perform a Cesarean section, this can lead to brain injuries like cerebral palsy.
Reduced oxygen (cerebral hypoxia). This can be caused by several factors, including low oxygen or blood pressure in the mother during birth, breech presentation, placental abruption, the umbilical cord getting wrapped around the baby’s neck, and umbilical cord compression or prolapse. When babies do not get enough oxygen, their blood pressure and heart rate may decrease, which limits the flow of blood to the vital organs and tissues of the body. This can cause irreversible neurological and cellular damage to the newborn.
Head trauma. There are several factors that have the potential to cause head trauma at birth. When the infant’s head is large in proportion to the size of the mother’s pelvis, trauma can be caused to the child’s head if it gets stuck in the birth canal and sustains direct pressure from the mother’s pelvic bones. Trauma can also be caused by forceps, a vacuum device or the doctor’s hands as babies’ heads are twisted to free them from the birth canal. In addition, prolonged periods of contractions can result in the baby’s head being repeatedly pushed against the mother’s pelvic bones. This can cause cerebral contusions or blood clots in the baby’s blood vessels, which can lead to stroke.
Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). A long, challenging labor is hard on the mother and the baby. It can cause a drop in the baby’s blood sugar levels, which can lead to brain injury if it is not detected and addressed quickly.
Obstetrical errors. Some of the obstetrical errors that can occur during birth include:
Improper use of medical devices, including forceps and vacuum extractors, overmedication of mothers in an effort to force a vaginal delivery
Inexperienced nurses failing to identify abnormal labor
Failure to properly plan for complications with large babies, breech presentations, shoulder dystocia, meconium fluid and lengthy labor
What are the symptoms of brain damage in newborns?
When you get your new baby home, you may begin to notice things about the child’s appearance and wonder if everything is okay. Beyond the normal worries about whether your baby is healthy, you might begin to see signs that concern you, such as your baby having difficulty focusing. You might also notice that the infant has an abnormally small head or a low or fluctuating body temperature. Perhaps your baby has trouble sleeping lying down or experiences frequent, inconsolable crying bouts. Slow physical development might also indicate that something is wrong. If you suspect that something is amiss with your child, it is important to see a doctor for a diagnosis.
When Should I Contact A Birth Injury Attorney?
Birth injuries can range from minor to severe. If your child’s injury is only minor and the doctor assures you that it will heal over time, you may not be concerned about contacting a birth injury lawyer. However, if you become aware that something is not right with your baby and a doctor diagnoses it as a brain injury that might have occurred during or immediately after birth, you should contact an obstetrical malpractice attorney right away to find out about your rights.
At the law firm of Stecco Law, P.C., our birth injury lawyers fight to obtain urgently needed compensation for parents whose infants have suffered life-altering injuries at the hands of medical professionals. We help you get answers and results.
Contact a birth injury legal team today to discuss your case
Don’t delay talking to an attorney if your newborn suffered an injury at the hospital. The medical malpractice attorneys at Stecco Law, P.C. are ready to review your case and counsel you on the best course of action for your family. Call us at (410) 842-6176 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation. From our offices in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, Maryland, we also serve families in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
Stecco Law, P.C. takes cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay no attorney fees unless we recover on your behalf.