Newborn Care
Newborns are particularly vulnerable during this early period of life.
Some of the medical conditions that can go wrong quickly include:
Newborn care
Doctors, nurses and midwives are expected to carefully observe newborns after delivery to check for injury and any apparent health issues.
Jaundice
Jaundice is a fairly common condition caused by too much bilirubin in the blood. Babies with jaundice often have a yellow tone to their skin or eyes. Jaundice is particularly worrisome if it develops in the first hours of life. Although treatment for jaundice is fairly simple, it must be properly diagnosed and treated to prevent babies from developing more severe conditions — including a buildup of bilirubin in the brain that can result in hearing loss, seizures and even neurological injury and cerebral palsy.
Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia is low blood sugar, which can be easily detected and treated. If not treated early, it may lead to seizures, heart failure and brain damage, including cerebral palsy and developmental delays.
Infantile seizures
Infantile seizures often don’t appear significant. In fact, in many cases they may look like little jerks. If not recognized by trained health care professionals, seizures can affect a baby’s development and long-term cognitive abilities. Seizures are more common in infants who suffered oxygen deprivation during delivery — often called hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. They are often associated with a later diagnosis of cerebral palsy.
Common Mistakes
Many newborn health issues show up only days or weeks after the baby is born. Despite this presentation, some of these issues may be the result of mistakes made either during delivery or early in life. Common errors in medical malpractice cases involving newborns include:
- Failure to conduct appropriate newborn screening tests
- Not obtaining and maintaining a complete medical history
- Failure to recognize high-risk conditions that may result in newborn illnesses
- Insufficient or delayed follow-up care
- Failure to properly treat blood incompatibilities between a mother and her baby
- Misdiagnosis of critical medical conditions
Here to Help
If you have experienced a serious, lasting injury or lost a member of your family as a result of medical error, our respected and trusted medical malpractice lawyers may be able to help. To explore a relationship with Toronto-based Harte Law, schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced team of medical malpractice professionals. Call us at 289-695-2450 or fill out our online contact form for a free case evaluation.