Birth Injury Case Evaluation

Children who suffer from preventable birth injuries face astronomical medical bills, adversity in treatment and permanent disabilities. Medical malpractice claims can help to alleviate financial burdens and provide justice.

In order to win the case, attorneys need to prove that hospitals or doctors did not follow accepted standards of care when it came to labor and delivery. This is typically accomplished through a thorough review of medical records, or expert witness testimony.

Cerebral palsy

Cerebral Palsy is a permanent motor disability caused by injuries to the immature central nervous system, which can occur in utero, during birth (perinatal) or early infancy. It can affect a wide range body movements, and its severity can range from moderate to severe. The condition's symptoms vary with age, but it is not progressive.

Like many other conditions it is not testable. Nevertheless, a thorough and comprehensive assessment can help medical professionals determine whether or the child's problem is caused by cerebral palsy. This includes a thorough assessment of mobility and neurologic function.

The tests will assess the child's muscles, posture, balance, reflexes, capacity to move, and other aspects that affect a child's mobility. Musculoskeletal exams can reveal hip dislocations, scoliosis, and contractures. A speech and language evaluation will also show the child's development in terms of intellectual ability as well as their ability to create speech sounds.

Neuroimaging, a type of imaging that permits doctors to view the brain in detail is frequently used in diagnosing Cerebral Palsy. This is a noninvasive way to assess the extent of brain injury. However, it does not permit doctors to predict the impact of this injury on the child's symptoms.

In some instances the diagnosis of cerebral palsy cannot be established until the child is several years old, as symptoms can fluctuate throughout this period. However the classification of a condition on the basis of severity of the condition, topographic distribution and muscle tone is useful as a method to convey the severity of impairment in a child and influence the treatment.

Physical and occupational therapy are the most effective treatments for Cerebral Palsy. These therapies can improve the mobility of children and decrease the risk of joint problems such as scoliosis. In addition, speech therapy and the use of adaptive equipment can aid with daily activities and allow them to be more social with family members and other. There are a variety of financial aid options available depending on the specific circumstances that lead to the child's health. There are also charities and foundations that can ease the burden of paying for treatment and care.

Brachial Plexus Injury

A brachial-plexus injury occurs when the five nerves that branch from the neck to the spine are injured. These nerves transmit signals from the spine to the hand, shoulder and arm. Each side of the body has a brachial plexus. Some infants with brachial plexus injuries recover without treatment, however the majority will benefit from occupational and physical therapy. A smaller percentage of infants may require surgical intervention to get the best results.

A baby who has an injury to the brachial plexus can be diagnosed by their primary physician based on their medical history and physical examination. A doctor may also order special imaging tests like an MRI or a CT scan or nerve conduction studies however, these tests are not as reliable in babies. Doctors can also test the strength and movement of the muscles of a child's arms by doing gentle exercises for range of motion which aids in tracking the progress of recovery over time.

The signs and symptoms of a brachial plexus injury vary depending on the severity of the injury as well as which nerves are affected. The symptoms can include weakness in the arm, a lack of movement of the muscles, and a decrease in sensation (feeling) in the hand. The symptoms usually affect one side of the body, however often both sides are equally affected.

The most common cause is Neonatal Brachial Palsy (NBPP), but it can also be caused by other causes. Brachial plexus injuries are more prevalent in babies who are large, who are in a breech birth injury lawsuit position, or must be pulled during delivery. This type of injury can also happen to athletes who play contact sports such as football and blunt trauma.

NBPP can be identified at an early age, usually within six to eight weeks of birth. Most children recover without intervention, but those who don't improve within a month need to be assessed by a team of experts. The teams typically consist of a pediatric orthopedic surgeon, a physiatrist, and a physical therapy.

Erb's Palsy

The brachial (brake-ee-al) plexus is a group of nerves that run from the spinal cord to the shoulder and then down the arm into the hand. If this group of nerves are injured during delivery, it may cause weakness or paralysis of the affected arm. Erb's Palsy is the most frequent kind. It is caused by a significant stretching or tear of the upper brachial nerves during labor and delivery.

A doctor can diagnose Erb palsy with physical examination of the infant birth injury attorney's hand. The doctor will look for a lack of movement in the affected arm, a limp wrist, and a deficiency of Moro reflex (the infant's involuntary response to a loss of head support). The health care professional could also request an imaging test or nerve test, such as an X-ray or an ultrasound, or an electromyogram, or a study of nerve conduction.

In many cases, Erb's Palsy is a result of an unexperienced doctor applying excessive lateral traction to the infant during a forceps delivery. This type of traction can be minimized by having the second phase of labor be shorter or by having the mother lay on her back for a portion of the delivery. A doctor can also help reduce the risk of this type of injury by giving birth via C-section.

Other brachial plexus injuries could occur in addition to Erb's Palsy. Klumpke palsy is a more serious type of this condition, which causes damage to the brachial plexus nerves in the lower region. This type of injury is usually called a "waiter's tip" posture because the limb hangs down by the side and is rotated medially, pronated, flexed and extended at the wrist.

If your child is diagnosed with one of these ailments, it is important to consult an attorney for medical malpractice immediately. Beth has more than 18 years of experience in specialized experience in labor and delivery, and can help determine whether your child's medical provider committed acts of negligence that could have resulted in these preventable birth injury lawyer injuries.

Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy

Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE), also known as hypoxic ischemic brain damage, is a condition that occurs when a problem during birth injury law experts reduces blood and oxygen supply to the infant. HIE is a serious illness that can lead to permanent, severe brain damage. The effects of HIE can range from mild to extreme, and they usually begin within a few weeks after birth. HIE is one of the conditions that fall into the larger category of birth-related injuries called neonatal encephalopathy (NE).

HIE can be caused by complications during birth and labor. These include excessive bleeding in the mother’s blood vessels and forceps delivery, long labor and bleeding excessively. The baby's birth injury legal professional weight is low and could be a cause of HIE.

To determine if a child has HIE doctors will analyze the infant's APGAR score and look for signs of neurological impairment. A low APGAR can be a sign that you need immediate medical care. Doctors may use blood tests to assess the amount of acid that builds up in the umbilical cord, which is an indication that a baby has suffered from an oxygen shortage or a decrease in blood flow.

If the child is suspected to have HIE the doctors usually try to treat it using the treatment known as therapeutic hypothermia. During this treatment the child is placed in a cool blanket and given medication to help him or her sleep. During cooling, doctors will monitor the infant's heart rate and breathing, body temperature and brain activity.

Once a baby has been fully restored to its original temperature and re-warmed, the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan is performed. MRIs are the best method to identify HIE and its specific injury pattern. The results of an MRI can show the time frame of injury, which is helpful in determining if the child's symptoms are caused by HIE.

After a HIE diagnosis, babies will need to be monitored closely throughout their lives. They will see a neuroologist and a neonatologist, and might receive speech, physical, and occupational therapy in order to treat their symptoms. The aim is to make these children as healthy as is possible and help them achieve their full potential.