Baltimore Oxygen Deprivation Lawyer
During difficult or prolonged labor, infants can suffer injuries due to a lack of oxygen to the brain. These injuries can include cerebral anoxia – a complete lack of oxygen to the brain – as well as cerebral hypoxia – which is the medical term for an insufficient flow of oxygen to the brain. A particular form of oxygen-deprivation birth injury is known as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy or HIE. HIE is a medical emergency that is extremely dangerous and potentially life-altering.
Other forms or causes of oxygen deprivation during labor or birth include intrapartum asphyxia and intrauterine asphyxia. Both conditions can cause HIE, which in turn can lead to cerebral palsy or other neurological defects. Intrapartum asphyxia is also a cause of multiorgan failure in addition to neurological deficits.
The Baltimore oxygen deprivation lawyers at Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman have decades of experience helping birth injury victims and their families get the medical care and compensation they need after suffering an injury due to the negligence of a doctor, hospital or other medical provider. Our lawyers understand what it takes to uncover and prove malpractice when it was at the heart of an oxygen deprivation injury, and we go to great lengths to build, prepare and present the strongest case in our clients’ favor. Our record-setting verdicts and settlements are a testament to the time and effort we put into every case to achieve the best outcome possible for our clients.
If your child suffered an injury due to oxygen deprivation during labor or delivery at a Baltimore hospital or medical center, call Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman to discuss your claim and find out how we can help.
What Causes Oxygen Deprivation During Pregnancy, Labor and Delivery?
Many potential causes of oxygen deprivation can be identified with proper maternal and fetal monitoring, such as:
- Maternal diabetes co-morbid with vascular disease
- Preeclampsia
- Severe fetal anemia
- Very low maternal blood pressure
- Abnormal fetal positioning
- Infections
- Placental abnormalities
- Placental abruption or uterine rupture
- Low neonatal blood pressure
Part of the obstetrician’s job is monitoring maternal and fetal health throughout pregnancy and identifying any potential complications. By anticipating complications, the delivery team can be ready to deal with them if they arise during birth or avoid them altogether by scheduling a c-section instead of a vaginal birth if appropriate.
Oxygen deprivation during labor and delivery can last for seconds or minutes, depending on how quickly the problem is identified and how quickly it is solved. Depending on the severity of oxygen deprivation and how long it lasted, recovery and treatment for an oxygen deprivation injury can range from rest and rehabilitation to life support. In addition, medical studies have shown that even mild oxygen deprivation can have lasting negative consequences on newborns.
Below are just a handful of the more common and well-known permanent consequences of oxygen deprivation to a fetus:
- Cerebral palsy
- Epilepsy
- Severe cognitive deficits
- Uncontrollable muscle spasms and impaired motor function mobility
Proving Malpractice After Oxygen Deprivation
Sometimes doctors and nurses do everything reasonable or even everything in their power but still cannot prevent oxygen deprivation from occurring. Malpractice happens when doctors and nurses fail to perform according to the expected standard of other medical professionals in the same field in the Baltimore medical community. Part of our job as medical malpractice birth injury lawyers is figuring out whether malpractice occurred in a given case. We do this with the help of qualified medical experts who can assist us by reviewing the medical records and determining whether a deviation from the standard of care occurred and whether that deviation was the cause of the oxygen deprivation. From there, we put in the time and effort to build a strong case proving malpractice and securing a fair amount of compensation to our clients for the harm done to their child. Our lawyers have experience in the most difficult cases and are prepared to look at any case and proceed accordingly.
Help After an Oxygen Deprivation Birth Injury in Baltimore
If your child suffered from oxygen deprivation during labor or delivery at a Baltimore area hospital, call Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman at 410-998-3600 for a free consultation to talk about what happened. We’ll let you know how we can help, and we won’t charge any fee unless and until we are successful in recovering compensation for you.
