If your baby suffered from hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, you may be entitled to compensation from an hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy lawsuit or settlement. Contact a HIE encephalopathy birth injury lawyer to request a free case review.
A team of birth injury lawyers and personal injury attorneys is investigating birth injury lawsuit cases and settlement claims of parents and families whose babies suffered from hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy due to birth related medical malpractice or negligence.
Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (also known as HIE, birth asphyxia, perinatal asphyxia or neonatal encephalopathy) is a birth injury involving a lack of oxygen (hypoxic or hypoxia) and restricted blood flow (ischemic or ischemia) that causes a baby to suffer brain injury (encephalopathy).
It is estimated that for every 1,000 births, 2-3 newborn babies suffer from hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy is one of the leading causes of impairments in newborns, including infant deaths (accounting for about 20% of neonatal deaths).
Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy Lawsuit Cases
Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy lawsuit and settlement cases potentially being investigated include claims of families and parents whose babies suffered from hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy during labor and delivery due to possible medical malpractice or negligence.
- Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy
- HIE
- Birth asphyxia
- Perinatal asphyxia
- Neonatal encephalopathy
- Other birth injury cases
- Other medical malpractice lawsuit cases
Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy can often be prevented via proper medical care of health professionals by careful monitoring of expectant mothers (including those with high risk pregnancies who are under 20 or over 35 or who have gestational diabetes, preclampsia or high blood pressure, obesity, twins/triplets, etc.), careful monitoring of a baby for signs of distress (such as properly using a fetal heart monitor), and timely intervention if complications arise (such as an emergency C-section).
Causes of Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy
Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy can be caused by a variety of complications that occur prior to labor (antepartum), during labor (intrapartum) and/or after delivery (postpartum or neonatal) that result in a lack of oxygen to a baby’s brain, including, among others:
- Umbilical cord problems
- Placental complications
- Placental abruption
- Uterine rupture injury
- Placenta previa
- Infections
- Premature birth
- Prolonged labor
- Delayed C-Sections
- Use of medications (Pitocin or Cytotec)
- High risk pregnancies
- Fetal stroke
- Fetal distress
- Excessive maternal sedation (Anesthesia)
- Brain trauma
- Head trauma
- Shoulder dystocia
- Obstetrical forcep injury
- Vacuum extraction injury
- Brain bleed
- Fetal macrosomia (abnormally large fetus)
- Meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS)
- Abnormal fetal position/presentation
- Other birth complications
Oftentimes, a baby will suffer from hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy due to the failure of doctors and other medical professionals to use reasonable care with respect to the monitoring, diagnosing, preventing and/or treating such birth complications.
Neonatal Encephalopathy Signs & Symptoms
Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy signs and symptoms can include, among others, the following:
- Low heart rate
- Respiratory issues
- Weak or no breathing
- Low or high muscle tone (hypotonia)
- Acidosis (excessive acid in blood)
- Seizures
- Coma
- Meconium stained amniotic fluid
- Bluish skin color
- Apgar score less than three over five minutes or more
- Poor reflexes
- Feeding problems
- Inability to suck or grasp
- Lack of alertness
- Lack of response to external stimulus
- Abnormal eye movements
- Low arterial umbilical cord pH levels
- Multiple organ failure
- Need for resuscitation
- Other neonatal encephalopathy symptoms or signs
HIE diagnosis can be confirmed by MRI, PET or CT scan, EEG, EKG, ultrasound, blood glucose test, or umbilical cord arterial blood gas test.
HIE Complications
HIE complications can include, among others:
- Cerebral palsy
- Periventricular leukomalacia
- Developmental delays
- Epilepsy
- Cognitive issues
- Motor skill development delays
- Neurodevelopment delays
- Hearing impairment
- Vision impairment
- Death
Children with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy can suffer from both acute or subacute brain injury due to asphyxia (i.e., oxygen deprivation) during labor and delivery that can lead to serious brain damage, cell damage and other complications.
Almost 25% of HIE babies develop neurological injuries such as development delays, mental retardation, learning disabilities, seizures, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, visual dysfunction or speech impairments. An estimated 15-20% of newborns with HIE die in the postnatal period.
Although there are treatments to help prevent or minimize injuries from HIE (such as ventilation, NICU care, minimizing cerebral swelling, preventing seizures and body and head cooling or hypothermia treatment) and therapies to help a child adapt to HIE complications, there is no cure for hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy.
Children with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy may need long-term care, rehab, surgery, and life-long aide, therapy and medical assistance.
If your baby suffered from hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, you may be entitled to compensation from a hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy lawsuit or settlement. Contact a birth injury lawyer to request a free case review.
*If your child is experiencing health issues or complications, we urge you to promptly consult with your doctor or physician for an evaluation.
**The listing of a company or product is not meant to state or imply that the company acted illegally or improperly or that the product is unsafe or defective; rather only that an investigation may be, is or was being conducted to determine whether legal rights have been violated.
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