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When a Doctor or Hospital Causes Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy is a type of birth injury that can lead to a permanent disability, such as cerebral palsy or mental retardation.  This birth injury refers to the damage done to the cells in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) caused by lack of oxygen.  If your baby has been diagnosed with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, you need to find out what caused the oxygen deprivation that led to this serious injury.

When there is a lack of oxygen to an infant’s brain, after only five minutes the brain cells will begin to die.  In cases involving babies, birth injury is the most frequent cause of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.

During the labor and delivery process, errors can occur.  Hospitals and doctors sometimes make mistakes that affect expectant mothers and babies.  Birth injuries can result from a delayed C-section or a prolonged birth.  If the infant is in the birth canal too long, the umbilical cord was prolapsed, fetal heartbeat was misread or if the doctor did not respond promptly to a complication, the baby can be injured.  Any of these events can lead to a lack of oxygen, which can cause brain damage in infants.

Not every case of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy is the result of hospital error or doctor error, but there are some cases that could have been prevented if the appropriate measures had been taken.  If you are not sure what caused your baby to experience hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, you should have an experienced Virginia medical malpractice lawyer review your case.  The medical malpractice attorneys at Tavss Fletcher will be able to look at the details of your case to determine who was at fault and if you are entitled to compensation for your child’s injuries.  Contact Tavss Fletcher today at 757-625-1214 today to review your case.   

The article, Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy Caused by Medical Errors, has more information on this topic.

When Cerebral Palsy is Caused by Hospital or Doctor Error

As a parent of a child with cerebral palsy, you know how difficult it can be to cope with the disorder.  You probably never imagined that your child would be afflicted with such a devastating disorder and may be wondering what caused it. 

Cerebral palsy can affect a child’s ability to perform voluntary movements and can also impact muscle coordination.  Some individuals with cerebral palsy have stiff or tight muscles and exaggerated reflexes.  Unfortunately, there is no cure for cerebral palsy.

Cerebral palsy is the result of brain damage and symptoms usually surface shortly after birth or early in childhood.  Brain damage that leads to cerebral palsy can be caused by infections, long labor and delivery, birth defects, seizures, premature birth, lack of oxygen, low birth weight, bleeding in the brain or genetic conditions.  Cerebral palsy has also been linked to birth injuries resulting from errors made by doctors and/or hospitals.

Doctors and hospitals sometimes make mistakes that lead to cerebral palsy.  Some of these catastrophic errors include leaving the infant in the birth canal too long, failure to treat seizures, improper use of forceps or vacuum extraction and failure to detect a prolapsed cord.  When a doctor delays a C-section or doesn’t promptly address complications during labor and delivery, the risk of birth injury increases, which also raises the likelihood of the child developing cerebral palsy.

If your baby has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and you believe that hospital error or doctor error could have contributed to your child’s disorder, you need to talk with a medical malpractice attorney.  The experienced medical malpractice lawyers at Tavss Fletcher can review the details of your case to help you determine the cause of your child’s disorder.  Call us today at 757-625-1214 for legal advice regarding your child’s cerebral palsy case.

The article, Cerebral Palsy Caused by Birth Injury, has more information on this subject.