New York Anoxia Birth Injury Attorneys
Birth injuries can seriously impact the life of the child and the lives of his or her loved ones. Sometimes a birth injury is so severe that it can shorten a child’s lifespan. Unfortunately, some injuries are so severe that a child may not live past a few days. One serious type of birth injury is called anoxia, which involves the body being completely deprived of oxygen during the birthing process.
If you believe that your child suffers from anoxia as a result of the negligence of a medical or healthcare professional, you may be entitled to compensation. These cases are complicated and require the expertise of a knowledgeable medical malpractice attorney. At Gersowitz Libo & Korek, P.C., our legal team has more than three decades of experience in handling all types of medical malpractice claims, especially injuries to infants caused by oxygen deprivation during the birthing process.
What Is Anoxia or a Deprivation of Oxygen?
As soon as the umbilical cord is cut during the birthing process, an infant needs to breathe oxygen on his or her own. If this critical transition is delayed, the baby can gravely suffer due to lack of sufficient oxygen.
The human body requires sufficient oxygen in order for it to function. When oxygen levels in the body become seriously low for as little as four minutes, brain cells begin to die, and the infant being born can suffer a medical condition called anoxic brain injury. Anoxia is an extreme form of hypoxia, which occurs when one part of the body can only obtain a reduced amount of oxygen. Anoxia goes a step further and occurs when there is complete lack of oxygen.
Causes of Anoxic Brain Injury
There are many risk factors that can result in oxygen deprivation during the birthing process and can ultimately result in a birth injury. Some common causes of anoxic brain injury include:
- Placental abruption
- Prolapsed umbilical cord
- Poor fetal monitoring
- Failure to perform a C-section when necessary
- Improper response to fetal distress
Symptoms of Anoxia Birth Injuries
If your baby stopped breathing for a few minutes but was not tested, or if the tests performed do not recognize that your baby has an anoxic brain injury, you need to watch out for common symptoms that could indicate such injury. If untreated, these symptoms could worsen and damage your baby’s brain even more.
Symptoms to watch for that could indicate an anoxic brain injury include:
- Decline in executive functions
- Weakened limbs
- Spastic or jerky motions
- A lack of consciousness which looks like sleep but cannot be wakened (most severe symptom)
If your newborn shows any of these symptoms immediately after or shortly after birth, it is imperative that you speak to a New York medical malpractice attorney to help you through the difficult process.
Complete Oxygen Deprivation Birth Injuries
The lack of complete oxygen flow to the brain can result in loss of brain cells. This in turn can causes serious brain damage that can significantly impact your child’s life style and lifespan. The resulting loss of brain function is in most cases irreversible.
The extent of your infant’s injuries and the impact on your child’s life depends on how long your child was completely deprived of sufficient oxygen. The longer your child was deprived of oxygen, the more severe the brain damage can be.
Complications of Anoxic Brain Injury
Complete deprivation of oxygen to the brain can significantly impact your child’s life and result in long-term medical problems. These include cognitive and physical problems, such as:
- Poor mental functioning. A child suffering from an anoxic brain injury may experience developmental delays.
- Vision problems. Visual information may be difficult to process. The child’s eyes may seem normal, but the brain damage can render the child blind.
- Speech problems. A child with anoxic trauma may have trouble communicating and may require a speech therapist.
- Cerebral palsy. The child may experience muscle spasms and weakness or involuntary movements, as well as other complications associated with cerebral palsy.
Treatments Anoxic Brain Injury
When an infant has suffered anoxic trauma, the initial treatment performed involves determining the cause of oxygen deprivation. This is important because it allows the physicians and other medical staff to immediately respond and determine how to relieve the flow of oxygen. If the lack of oxygen is caused by an umbilical cord prolapse, the medical staff needs to take immediate steps to correct the problem, such as delivering the child via C-section.
When oxygen is restored to the brain, rehabilitation may occur. Doctors, nurses and therapists need to work as a team to create a plan for rehabilitation. The plan may include physical, speech, occupational and recreational therapy, depending on the impact of the anoxic trauma and resulting damage to the brain.
If you are the parent of a child who suffered anoxic brain injury, you may find these medical and rehabilitative costs difficult to handle. If the injury is related to medical negligence, you should consult with an NYC anoxic brain injury attorney about a potential legal claim.
You Need an Experienced New York Anoxia Birth Injury Attorney
In pursuing a medical malpractice claim, especially one that involves the serious issue of anoxia, it is important to hire an attorney who has the necessary experience to help you get the best settlement possible so that you will have the money and resources to give the highest quality of care possible to your child.
If your child has suffered an anoxic trauma during the birthing process as a result of medical negligence, you should immediately consult an attorney. The legal team at Gersowitz Libo & Korek, P.C. understands the ramifications of birth injuries on the lives of the victim and their family members. Our firm has been protecting the rights of victims for more than 39 years. We aggressively litigate these cases to hold the right parties accountable for their actions and help our clients obtain the full compensation that they deserve.
Call an Experienced NYC Anoxic Trauma Injury Attorney Today!
At Gersowitz Libo & Korek, P.C., we understand how devastating it is for parents when a newborn has suffered serious brain injuries at birth. While we understand that no amount of money can undo the harm caused, it can bring a sense of justice and financial stability to help pay for your child’s medical care and treatment.
If you suspect your infant’s brain injuries were caused by medical negligence, please call us at 1-800-529-9997 for a free consultation to discuss the details of your case.
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