If your infant suffered a brain injury during birth, cooling therapy treatment may have been prescribed to minimize or prevent permanent brain damage. The therapy is typically prescribed when specific complications occur during birth or an infant presents certain symptoms following delivery. Injuries sustained by newborns during birth can lead to lifetime requirements for medical care and therapy, placing a significant emotional and financial strain on your family.
These injuries are often preventable and can be treated with timely and accurate medical care. In some cases, the requirement for Therapeutic Hypothermia treatment could be a sign that medical malpractice has occurred. If you believe your infant is a victim of therapeutic hypothermia medical malpractice in Suffolk County, an experienced birth injury attorney could help you understand your legal options for pursuing compensation.
Therapeutic hypothermia treatment in Suffolk County is usually prescribed for a type of birth injury called hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). When an infant’s developing brain fails to receive a steady flow of oxygen, permanent brain damage and impairment can occur. Cooling cap treatment is used to lower a baby’s body temperature to stop the spread of brain damage and minimize permanent impairment.
However, the treatment must be applied as soon as possible to be effective.
HIE is caused when insufficient oxygen reaches the brain and blood flow is reduced. It can cause a wide range of medical conditions, including cerebral palsy, that will affect a child for the rest of their life. HIE is more likely to be present in babies who had a difficult birth or complications that occurred during pregnancy.
Some of the most common indicators of HIE include a challenging delivery, a delayed C-section, umbilical cord problems during birth, and lack of oxygen in the mother’s blood prior to birth.
Doctors have a duty of care to do everything they can to ensure that newborns are as healthy as possible. Treating complications promptly and accurately is a vital part of this responsibility. In many cases, HIE is a sign that doctors did not respond accurately to traumatic birth experiences.
Negligent care during pregnancy, birth, or the period immediately following delivery can cause a baby to be deprived of oxygenated blood and develop HIE. Examples of negligent medical care that leads to HIE include:
When doctors fail to perform the proper medical treatments during pregnancy or delivery and injury occurs, they are liable for medical malpractice. The need to prescribe therapeutic hypothermia treatment in Suffolk County could mean malpractice has already occurred.
The decision to treat for HIE is based on specific birthing circumstances or tests performed on a newborn immediately after delivery. Timely treatment is essential for the best outcome for the child. Therapeutic hypothermia treatment is proven to reduce or eliminate permanent brain damage caused by HIE.
However, it must be administered during a short window of time after birth. A delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis that leads to long-term complications is a form of malpractice.
Newborns who suffer from birth injuries can incur permanent brain damage that requires lifelong care. Such an outcome is a severe financial and emotional burden for families. When brain injuries are a result of negligent care during pregnancy or birth, doctors can be held accountable for their careless actions.
A skilled attorney at Duffy & Duffy can help you get compensation for newborn injuries that required therapeutic hypothermia treatment in Suffolk County. Contact us today to learn more about your legal options.
No. Our injury cases are handled on a contingent retainer. You pay nothing upfront, and we recover attorney’s fees only if your litigation is successful. We don’t bill by the hour. You don’t need to worry about running up a large attorney’s bill before you see any recovery for your injuries.
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Each case we encounter is carefully screened and evidence scrutinized to make sure the claim is meritorious and may be successful at trial. We will perform an investigation, and then our partners make a final decision on whether to take on a case.