Birth Asphyxia Lawyers in Chicago
Did your newborn suffer from birth asphyxia? Do you suspect a medical professional’s mistake was to blame? If so, your family could be entitled to compensation through a birth injury claim. At Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C., our knowledgeable lawyers have extensive experience with medical malpractice lawsuits and know what it takes to obtain the financial recovery you deserve.
Contact our birth injury attorneys now to discuss your legal options in a free, no-obligation case evaluation. Let’s pursue accountability together.
Why Working with an Experienced Birth Injury Lawyer Is Important
Birth asphyxia can lead to serious, long-term consequences for newborns and their families. Pursuing a birth asphyxia medical malpractice claim may be daunting and overwhelming, but a skilled lawyer can offer valuable assistance every step of the way. Among the ways an experienced birth injury lawyer can help you with your medical malpractice claim include the following:
- Investigating the circumstances behind your child’s birth asphyxia
- Gathering and reviewing medical records and other relevant documents
- Working with independent medical experts to evaluate your case
- Identifying all parties that might be liable for the birth asphyxia
- Building a strong case to demonstrate negligence or malpractice
- Preparing the necessary legal documents to file a medical malpractice claim
- Negotiating with insurance companies on your behalf
- Representing you in court hearings and trials if necessary
- Preparing you and your family for depositions and court appearances
- Never charging you anything unless we recover compensation for your birth asphyxia injury claim
What Is Birth Asphyxia?
Birth asphyxia occurs when a newborn does not receive enough oxygen before, during, or right after birth. This oxygen deprivation leads to hypoxia and hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, which can damage the baby’s brain and other vital organs, causing severe health problems.
Common signs of birth asphyxia include difficulty breathing, weak muscle tone, and a slow heart rate. If a medical team does not act quickly to address these signs, the baby’s condition can worsen, leading to long-term consequences like developmental delays or cerebral palsy. Early detection and immediate medical intervention are crucial to prevent severe outcomes associated with birth asphyxia.
What Causes Birth Asphyxia?
Birth asphyxia can stem from various factors during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, including the following:
- Delayed C-Sections – If doctors do not perform C-sections quickly enough in response to fetal distress, babies can suffer from oxygen deprivation, which can lead to birth asphyxia.
- Improper Use of Assistive Delivery Devices – Misusing forceps or vacuum extractors during delivery can injure the baby’s head and disrupt their oxygen supply.
- Failure to Monitor Fetal Heart Rate – Doctors must monitor fetal heart rates throughout labor. Ignoring or misinterpreting abnormal heart rate patterns can prevent timely interventions, resulting in birth asphyxia.
- Umbilical Cord Complications – Problems like a prolapsed umbilical cord can cut off the baby’s oxygen supply. Failure to promptly address umbilical complications can lead to oxygen deprivation and severe brain damage.
- Anesthesia Errors – Incorrect administration of anesthesia can cause severe complications during delivery, affecting the baby’s oxygen levels and possibly leading to birth asphyxia.
- Failure to Diagnose and Treat Infections – Maternal infections during pregnancy can lead to complications that affect the baby’s oxygen supply. If healthcare providers do not diagnose and treat these infections promptly, the baby can suffer from oxygen deprivation.
- Improper Handling of Maternal Health Conditions – Conditions like preeclampsia can increase the risk of birth complications. If medical staff do not manage these conditions properly during pregnancy and delivery, they can lead to reduced oxygen flow and birth asphyxia.
Risk Factors for Birth Asphyxia
Birth asphyxia risk factors include maternal infections, high blood pressure, or diabetes, as well as complications like premature birth or abnormal positioning of the baby. However, even when these risk factors are present, healthcare providers are responsible for recognizing them and responding appropriately. Doctors and nurses must detect risk factors early during prenatal care and labor by closely monitoring the baby’s and mother’s conditions to identify any causes for concern.
Additionally, if healthcare providers detect potential risk factors for birth asphyxia, they must act quickly to treat the condition. This could involve administering oxygen, performing emergency C-sections, or taking other urgent medical actions. Prompt and effective treatment can prevent severe outcomes and ensure the safety and well-being of both mother and baby.
Health Effects of Birth Asphyxia
Birth asphyxia can lead to a range of serious health effects for newborns. One of the most severe outcomes is hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), a type of brain damage resulting from a lack of oxygen. HIE can cause long-term disabilities such as cerebral palsy. In some cases, birth asphyxia can also cause seizures, which further harm the baby’s developing brain.
Birth asphyxia can also affect other organs, leading to problems such as heart dysfunction, respiratory issues, and kidney damage. Immediate medical intervention is essential to minimize these health risks. Doctors must monitor and quickly treat any signs of oxygen deprivation to reduce the risk of lasting harm. The severity of any resulting health effects often depends on how quickly and effectively healthcare providers respond to the situation.
When Birth Asphyxia Is Medical Malpractice
If a child suffers birth asphyxia because healthcare providers made critical mistakes during the birthing process, the child’s injury may have been the result of medical malpractice. Proving medical malpractice involves demonstrating that the doctors or nurses failed to follow the standard of medical care during pregnancy, labor, or delivery, leading to the baby’s oxygen deprivation. Your attorney can argue for medical malpractice by gathering and analyzing medical records, consulting medical experts, and identifying deviations from standard healthcare practices.
The lawyer will look for evidence such as delayed responses to fetal distress, improper use of delivery instruments, or failure to monitor the baby’s heart rate. By presenting this evidence in court, your Chicago birth asphyxia attorney can argue that the healthcare providers’ actions directly contributed to the birth asphyxia.
Contact a Birth Asphyxia Attorney Now
The dedicated and knowledgeable attorneys at Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. have over 40 years of experience handling complex injury claims, including medical malpractice cases like yours. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation to learn what our compassionate team can do to pursue accountability and maximum compensation for your birth asphyxia claim.
