Birth asphyxia is one of the most catastrophic birth injuries a baby can suffer. Just a few minutes without oxygen can cause permanent brain damage. Death will happen just a few minutes later if the oxygen supply is not reestablished.
Not every case of birth asphyxia results from medical malpractice. Our Chicago birth asphyxia lawyers can investigate your child’s injury and determine whether you can recover compensation under Illinois law.
Contact Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys in Chicago, IL, for a free consultation to discuss whether you have a valid legal claim. Give us a call at (312) 726-1616.
How Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys Can Help With a Birth Asphyxia Case in Chicago, IL
Since 2009, Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys has represented injured clients in Chicago, Illinois, against the people and businesses who hurt them. Our Chicago medical malpractice lawyers have recovered millions of dollars for patients injured by medical errors.
If you or your loved one suffered an injury due to a medical provider’s negligent or intentional actions, our attorneys can provide you with the following:
- A free case evaluation to review your situation and explain your options
- Fearless and aggressive negotiations with malpractice insurers to settle the claim fairly
- Decades of courtroom experience to battle insurers who refuse to offer fair settlements
Your child may face a lifetime of medical bills after suffering birth asphyxia. Contact our Chicago birth injury lawyers to discuss your child’s situation and learn how we can help you fight for their future.
How Often Does Birth Asphyxia Happen?
Respiratory distress is a common complication suffered by newborns during labor and delivery. Roughly 7% of infants experience some form of respiratory distress. However, only a small fraction of these cases will disrupt a newborn’s oxygen supply enough to cause birth asphyxia.
According to one study, birth asphyxia occurs in two out of every 1,000 births, or about 0.2% of the time, in developed countries like the U.S. It may occur in up to 20 out of every 1,000 births in undeveloped countries.
Birth Asphyxia Causes and Effects
Birth asphyxia happens when a newborn’s oxygen supply is so low that its brain and organs begin to suffer cell death. In a slim majority of cases, doctors can reestablish the child’s oxygen supply and avoid permanent injuries. But in as many as 40% of cases, the child will die or suffer irreversible brain damage.
Causes of Birth Asphyxia
Birth injuries can result from a condition affecting either the mother or the child. Until a baby is born, they depend on their mother for their oxygen supply. Anything that disrupts the mother’s respiration or circulation can affect the baby.
Some causes of birth asphyxia include:
- Low maternal respiration or blood pressure
- Severe maternal or newborn bleeding
- Early detachment of the placenta (placental abruption)
- Umbilical cord compression
- Low respiration or blood pressure in the newborn
If a baby experiences birth asphyxia, doctors must act quickly to restore the child’s oxygen supply. Their actions may include treatment of the mother, the infant, or both.
Symptoms and Signs of Birth Asphyxia
Birth asphyxia will cause fetal distress. The baby’s heart may beat irregularly, and their blood chemistry will change.
After delivery, doctors may diagnose birth asphyxia using the APGAR test:
- Skin is blue or pale
- Low pulse
- Grimace or no reaction when the nose is touched
- Low or non-existent activity
- Irregular or non-existent respiration
Oxygen deprivation for just a few minutes will cause the child’s brain cells to absorb sodium ions. The ions will attract water molecules, and the brain will swell. The damage spreads as swollen brain cells squeeze off the blood supply to the brain. Within about five minutes, the child will experience permanent brain damage.
Cerebral palsy is one of the most recognizable effects of birth asphyxia. In cerebral palsy, damaged regions of the brain interfere with the child’s motor control and posture. Depending on the severity, it may also cause seizures and intellectual disabilities. This condition can also affect a child’s vision, hearing, or speech.
Medical Malpractice and Birth Asphyxia
Birth asphyxia can result from natural causes despite everyone’s best efforts to prevent or treat it. For example, if the mother suffers placental abruption, the baby may suffer from birth asphyxia before she can reach the hospital.
However, some cases of birth asphyxia result from medical errors. Some examples include:
- Anesthesia errors that depress the mother’s respiration, heart rate, or blood pressure
- Surgical errors that cause massive hemorrhaging
- Diagnostic errors in identifying a compressed umbilical cord
- Treatment errors in addressing fetal distress
To prove medical malpractice, your lawyer must show that the doctor, hospital, or hospital staff failed to render reasonably competent and skilled medical treatment under the circumstances.
In other words, your Chicago medical malpractice attorney must show that your healthcare providers knew or should have known to provide different or better treatment.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Chicago Birth Asphyxia Attorneys
Birth injuries like asphyxia can leave your child with permanent physical, cognitive, and emotional disabilities. Contact Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys to learn about your child’s legal rights in Illinois after a birth injury. Our Chicago birth injury attorneys offer a free initial consultation.
