The birth of a child should be a joyous event. When the baby suffers from birth asphyxia, those first exciting moments can become terrifying. This condition is also referred to as perinatal asphyxia. It’s defined as “a lack of blood flow or gas exchange to or from the fetus in the period immediately before, during, or after the birth process,” and can result in permanent injury, organ failure or death.
Medical professionals have a responsibility to monitor both the mother and infant’s health. If you believe your child suffered birth asphyxia due to medical negligence, the Law Offices of Tim Misny can help.
What leads to birth asphyxia?
There are a number of conditions that can lead to birth asphyxia, including:
- Low maternal oxygen levels before or during birth
- Long, difficult deliveries
- Placental separation or umbilical cord issues during delivery
- Serious infections in the mother and/or child
- High or low maternal blood pressure
- Blocked or improperly formed infant airway
- Infant anemia
Doctors can detect birth asphyxia by monitoring acid levels, the Apgar score immediately after birth and the fetal heart rate. They should also look for signs of neurological problems. Depending on your medical history, they should also be aware of any additional risk factors in your chart.
What kind of help is available?
If you believe that your child experienced birth asphyxia as a result of medical negligence, you may be eligible to file a medical malpractice claim. Medical malpractice occurs when a healthcare provider fails to meet their duty of care to the patient, resulting in actual harm.
Not all negative outcomes are the result of medical negligence. To prove malpractice, a plaintiff must show that the healthcare provider didn’t meet the standard of care for a reasonable practitioner in the same circumstances. In birth asphyxia cases, that might mean your doctor failed to detect the condition fast enough—or at all. Alternatively, they may have detected the condition but failed to take appropriate action.
To prove this, our firm may have medical expert witnesses testify to what a typical doctor, nurse or other practitioner would do in a similar situation. If the medical standard and the practitioner’s actual actions deviate greatly, that’s evidence of malpractice.
Medical malpractice cases are subject to a one-to-four-year statute of limitations. Don’t hesitate to call the Law Offices of Tim Misny—we’ll help you hold negligent healthcare providers accountable.
Work with an Ohio medical malpractice lawyer today
Mothers and children are extremely vulnerable during childbirth. They deserve doctors and nurses who are paying attention. If negligent healthcare providers caused your child’s birth injuries, I’ll Make Them Pay!® Call me at 800-556-4769 to discuss your options.
