April Is HIE Awareness Month
Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy, also known as HIE, is one of the most common brain injuries a child may sustain during the birthing process.
Many children are born in April each year. Their arrival should bring positive outcomes and dreams of a lifetime of shared happiness. Yet, many situations will not play out that way due to the mistakes made by doctors, hospitals, and nurses. Recognizing the signs of birth injury in a newborn is a critical step for parents in protecting their child’s future. At The Law Offices of Dr. Michael M. Wilson, M.D., J.D., you get the legal support you need in this very complicated area of the law.
Why April Matters for Newborn Awareness?
April has a high birth rate most years. Many families spend the spring months welcoming babies into their homes and lives. Spring is a time of new beginnings and celebrations. However, it is also a time when the risk of birth injuries becomes a reality. Parents who have had healthy babies for their full gestation are often dumbfounded when their child suddenly is born with health complications.
Spring birth injury awareness provides an opportunity to better understand what could be happening to your child and whether someone else is responsible.
What Is a Birth Injury?
A birth injury occurs during the labor and delivery process. Something happens that causes a complication during the delivery, and the child suffers an injury as a result. However, it is important to know the difference between a ‘birth injury’ and a ‘birth defect’. A birth defect, by comparison, develops prior to birth, in utero during the pregnancy. It is often associated with genetics but could also be due to exposure to environmental factors.
If your child seemed healthy throughout the pregnancy and you are seeing signs of a birth injury in your newborn now, consider whether medical malpractice could have played a role.
Common Types of Birth Injuries
Several types of birth injuries can occur, all stemming from different exposures and risks and creating different outcomes. The following are some of the most common types of birth injuries seen today:
- Cerebral palsy (CP): As the most common motor disability in childhood, with about 1 in every 345 children in the U.S. suffering from some form of it, cerebral palsy occurs due to a lack of oxygen to the brain during the delivery process.
- Erb’s palsy: Brachial plexus injury: This condition damages the nerves that control muscle functionality in the shoulders, arms, and hands. It often occurs due to shoulder dystocia, in which the baby’s head is delivered but the shoulders become stuck. The use of forceps and vacuums can also cause this.
- Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE): Some children suffer from HIE, which occurs when a blockage of blood flow during birth prevents oxygen from reaching the brain during and just after birth.
Even if your child was not immediately diagnosed with a condition, if they had any of these or other newborn brain injury symptoms, seek out the help of a medical malpractice lawyer for guidance.
Early Warning Signs to Watch For
Some injuries during the birthing process create obvious outcomes and signs, such as injuries resulting in broken bones. Many others are not initially noticeable and could be easy to overlook. The following early warning signs indicate that your child may need additional support and diagnosis:
- Stiff or floppy muscles
- Trouble feeding or latching during breastfeeding
- Lack of reflexes, such as not startling to loud or sudden noises
- Seizures
- Weakness or uneven arm movement, often a sign of Erb’s palsy
- Trouble breathing
- Abnormal heart rate at or just after birth
What Parents Can Do?
Medical malpractice birth injury is a complicated area of the law. The reason for this is that it can be challenging to prove that your child is suffering a complication and that it is due to a medical error and not any other injury. You can take several steps to seek financial compensation on behalf of your child.
- Documentation: Document all of the symptoms your child has. If possible, take a video showing the dysfunction or concerns you have. Request a formal evaluation from a specialist not associated with the hospital or medical center where you gave birth.
- Seek legal counsel: Hiring a birth injury lawyer in Washington, D.C., from our firm is exceptionally beneficial. Our lead lawyer is both a medical doctor and a lawyer, allowing you to have the full support you need in complicated matters like this.
- Focus on getting your child care: After contacting your lawyer, work with your child to pursue any treatment or support they need. This can help to document further the losses your child is suffering.
Your lawyer will handle the full investigation. To minimize the risk of any loss of medical records, let our legal team handle the questioning of doctors.
How Our Firm Can Help You?
Our principal lawyer, Michael Wilson, is both a lawyer and a physician, with legal and medical degrees from Georgetown University. Dr. Wilson is uniquely qualified to aggressively pursue medical malpractice claims for victims and families who have suffered losses at the hands of negligent health care providers.
Parents have every right to be angry and frustrated over what is happening to their child, especially when they find out their baby wasn’t born fully healthy. These avoidable tragedies change the course of a child’s life. You deserve an advocate who understands your child’s risks and the legal options for rectifying these outcomes to get you what you deserve. When you speak to our birth injury lawyers in Washington, D.C., we will go to work to investigate your case, preserve evidence, and get the critical witness statements necessary to build a strong case. You can focus on your child and meet their needs as we continue to build your case for you.
Contact the Washington, D.C. Birth Injury Lawyers at the Law Offices of Dr. Michael M. Wilson, M.D., J.D. & Associates Today Regarding Your Rights for Your Birth Injury Case
When it comes to medical malpractice and birth injury, there are many complications you could face in pursuing legal action. With the help of the Washington, D.C. birth injury lawyers at the Law Offices of Dr. Michael M. Wilson, M.D., J.D. & Associates, you can have a fierce advocate ready to fight for you. If you believe your child may be suffering from a birth injury or just want to make sure, call us at 202-223-4488 or contact us online for a free consultation. Located in Washington, D.C., we proudly serve clients in Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, and Maryland.
We hold doctors, nurses, medical staff, hospitals, and other health care facilities
accountable when they cause unnecessary harm to patients.
