The day you’ve been waiting nine months for can quickly turn from a festive occasion into a nightmare if you realize your child experienced a birth injury. One of the most severe types of injury they can experience is hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, which occurs if the baby is deprived of oxygen.
If your child has developed this condition because of medical negligence, filing a claim can help you hold the responsible parties accountable. To do so, you will need help from a Chicago hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) lawyer. At Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys, our team of Illinois birth injury lawyers is here to guide you through the process. Contact us today for a free case review at (312) 726-1616.
How Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys Can Help After An Accident In Chicago, IL
Seeing your child battling health issues because of medical malpractice can leave you with feelings of anger and despair. Added to that is the financial pressure of covering medical bills and missing work to take care of your newborn. At Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys, we know just how difficult all of this is. Our team of Chicago birth injury attorneys can help.
We provide a number of services for our clients. These include:
- Evaluating the claim during a free consultation
- Investigating the injury to establish whether medical malpractice took place
- Gathering evidence
- Speaking with expert witnesses
- Communicating with insurance companies
- Negotiating for a fair settlement
- Litigating if a settlement isn’t possible
Our team is dedicated to fighting for those who need us most. We are available 24/7 to ensure that you can always reach us, no matter the hour. Getting help could be just a call away, so don’t wait to contact our Illinois personal injury lawyers to schedule a free consultation.
What Is Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy?
Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a type of potentially fatal brain injury that occurs when a baby is deprived of oxygen at or near the time of birth. It can lead to a number of complications, including the development of cerebral palsy.
A baby can experience mild, moderate, or severe HIE, depending on how long they went without the right oxygen levels in the brain. Mild and moderate symptoms of HIE include:
- Irritability
- Tense muscles or floppy muscles
- A weak cry
- Difficulty feeding
- Blue or gray tone to the skin
More severe HIE can present with symptoms such as:
- Poor reflexes
- Little or no response to touch or sound
- Loss of consciousness
- Slow or irregular heartbeat
- Abnormal breathing
- Seizures
One of the most complex aspects of this condition is that it’s an evolving process. When oxygen doesn’t reach parts of the brain, cells begin to die and release toxic chemicals that go on to kill more cells. It causes a chain reaction that could lead to a reperfusion injury that results in more brain damage over hours or days.
Medical Negligence: Causes Of Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy
HIE is not always the result of medical negligence, but it often is. Typically, it comes down to a failure to monitor the baby’s vital signs and to more closely treat maternal issues like preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and infections.
If anything presses on the umbilical cord, it reduces its function and prevents the baby from getting the nutrients and oxygen it needs. This, too, can cause HIE. A medical professional who fails to spot this can be negligent.
Improper fetal heart monitoring during labor can lead to HIE, as well. Fetal heart monitoring can warn of distress, allowing the medical team to step in and offer oxygen. Often, it could also mean intervening via a C-section.
Prolonged labor can also put a baby at risk of HIE. The contractions can press down on the umbilical cord while also causing severe stress to the baby. Doctors who fail to recognize that the labor isn’t progressing can put both the mother and baby at risk.
Even after the baby has suffered oxygen deprivation, there are steps that a medical professional can take to prevent further damage. If the doctor doesn’t take the necessary steps to keep HIE from worsening by using therapeutic hypothermia or other treatments, that can also point to medical negligence.
Contact Our Chicago, IL, Birth Injury Lawyers For A Free Consultation
HIE can leave your child with permanent brain damage that can impact the rest of their life. You and your family will have significant medical expenses to cover as well as education that will meet your child’s unique needs and therapists of all types. If the injury your child suffered was the result of medical malpractice, you may have the right to file a claim and receive compensation.
At Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys, we can help fight for what you and your child deserve. Contact our Illinois team to schedule a free consultation with our Chicago birth injury lawyers.
