Birth injuries are not rare. They happen too commonly and often occur without families knowing what occurred or caused them. During Infant Mortality Awareness Month, we focus on sharing what matters, including what options parents have if their baby’s future is ripped from them due to negligence.
If your child was lost due to an injury during birth or as a result of a doctor’s negligence, the Law Offices of Dr. Michael M. Wilson, M.D., J.D. & Associates is available to guide you.
Infant Mortality Awareness Month
September is recognized nationally as Infant Mortality Awareness Month. The goal is to bring attention to factors that often lead to the loss of a child’s young life. Awareness matters. It empowers families to recognize risks early and ask the right questions when concerns arise. As a parent, knowing when to demand a higher level of standard care for both mother and child is critical to protecting your family.
By taking the time to understand issues such as infant mortality, baby safety, newborn screenings, and NICU care, you are empowered to recognize when there is reason to take action. And, when there is a risk that leads to your child’s loss of life, you need to know when to take action to hold negligent providers accountable.
During this month, we focus on topics such as:
- Preterm birth
- Low birth weight
- Maternal health issues
These issues increase the risk that a child will struggle to survive. While this can happen for many reasons, many parents are caught off guard, fully unexpecting the loss of their child.
Baby Safety Month
Birth injury awareness is one component of keeping your child safe. This is also an important month to focus on preventing injuries. September is also Baby Safety Month. This is the ideal time to learn how to prevent injuries to infants. That includes:
- Proper infant sleeping practices.
- How to bathe a child at home to avoid hazards.
- Avoiding smoking or using chemicals around a home.
- The importance and safety practices of using a car seat.
- Not leaving a child alone, even if they seem safe.
- The use of carbon monoxide alarms.
By minimizing infant death risks and preventing injuries, parents can safeguard their child’s future. In the ideal world, this would be enough. Yet, it is very common for babies to face unavoidable accidents that take their lives.
Newborn Screening Awareness Month
Another important way to minimize the risk of losses is to ensure that proper newborn screening occurs. During the month of September, a focus on newborn screening education is also important. Newborn screening, which often involves a heel stick blood test, can check for metabolic, genetic, and other disorders. A hearing screening is also important. The use of a pulse oximeter can also provide clarity on heart health.
Early detection of concerns during newborn screening enables doctors to apply the most effective treatments and interventions sooner, potentially preventing complications and saving lives. Newborn screening should occur in a hospital setting after the child is born. However, if it does not happen for any reason, parents should recognize this and seek additional help from their family doctor. If you do not feel something is right, do not ignore those intuitions.
Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU) Awareness Month
September is also when Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU) awareness month happens. During this month, the focus is on honoring premature or critically ill newborns and the NICU teams who work to care for them and save their lives. Many factors can contribute to a child’s health and well-being complications. Without doubt, the work NICU teams do to save lives is critically essential.
When to Contact an Attorney About Medical Malpractice and Birth Injuries
If you believe your child did not receive proper care for any reason, or you are concerned that your child’s well-being is still not being met, take action now. By hiring our medical malpractice legal team, we can conduct an investigation to determine what happened, identify the cause of the error, and determine who is responsible.
Our legal team possesses a unique combination of medical and legal experience, enabling us to address some of the most critical questions regarding what should have been done and what was not done properly. This can give you an indication if a child’s life was needlessly put at risk or lost.
FAQs: Infant Mortality and Birth Injuries
What types of newborn screenings are common?
Various types of screenings may be performed, including those to check for metabolic disorders, genetic disorders such as cystic fibrosis or spinal muscular atrophy, endocrine disorders, including hypothyroidism, hearing loss, and critical congenital heart defects. If you are unsure if your child received these screenings, ask their doctor for the results.
What are the most common causes of infant mortality in the U.S.?
Infant mortality occurs for numerous reasons, and not all of them are preventable. Some of the most common include birth defects, preterm birth with low birthweight, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and unintentional injuries. Note that maternal complications are a significant factor.
How do I know if my child experienced a birth injury?
It can be hard to know this, which is why speaking to an attorney if you suspect it can be very important. Look for unexplained injuries, changes in growth or communication, or undiagnosed complications. Do not assume the doctor will tell you what happened.
Contact Our Experienced Alexandria Birth Injury Lawyers at the Law Offices of Dr. Michael M. Wilson, M.D., J.D. & Associates Today
At the Law Offices of Dr. Michael M. Wilson, M.D., J.D. & Associates, you will find both the legal skill and medical knowledge needed to pursue justice for your child. Dr. Wilson is uniquely qualified as both a physician and an attorney to uncover the truth, hold negligent providers accountable, and fight for the compensation your family deserves. If your child has suffered a birth injury or a tragic loss of life, our Alexandria birth injury lawyers are here to provide answers and support. Call 202-223-4488 or contact us online for a free consultation. Located in Washington, D.C., we serve clients in the surrounding areas, including Northern Virginia and Maryland.
