In a recent medical malpractice lawsuit, a new mother accuses her obstetrician of performing a C-section without anesthesia. This lawsuit has caused some controversy because many mothers have stated that this is exactly how they would want their obstetrician to act if their baby were at risk of experiencing prolonged oxygen deprivation and brain injury. Most people, however, seem to agree that it was negligent for the anesthesiologist to fail to answer numerous STAT pages.
PROMPT PERFORMANCE OF A C-SECTION CAN PREVENT HYPOXIC ISCHEMIC ENCEPHALOPATHY (HIE) & BRAIN DAMAGE WHEN A BABY IS EXPERIENCING DISTRESS
Sometimes, an emergency C-section is necessary. When there is a condition that is depriving the baby of oxygen – such as a ruptured uterus (womb), placental abruption, or umbilical cord compression – and a quick vaginal delivery is not forthcoming, the baby must be delivered via C-section in order to prevent prolonged oxygen deprivation. Many of the cases we review involve a failure to quickly deliver a baby via emergency C-section when the baby is showing signs of distress and oxygen deprivation. When a baby suffers from severe and / or prolonged lack of oxygen to the brain, the baby’s brain may become permanently damaged. Babies that have experienced insufficient oxygen to the brain during or near the time of birth are often diagnosed with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), and they frequently suffer from seizures shortly after birth. Babies with brain injury and HIE may develop cerebral palsy, motor disorders, periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), hydrocephalus, intellectual disabilities, developmental delays, and other long-term problems.
THE MICHIGAN MEDICAL MALPRACTICE LAWYERS AT GREWAL LAW ARE HERE TO HELP
If you think your baby experienced a traumatic birth, oxygen deprivation, a brain bleed, delayed delivery, or delayed emergency C-section, or if your baby’s care was mismanaged after birth in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), please contact our team of experienced Michigan birth injury attorneys. The medical malpractice team at Grewal Law is comprised of attorneys and healthcare professionals, including an on-site physician, registered nurse, pharmacist, paramedic, and respiratory therapist. We also work with the best consultants from around the country. Our attorneys are licensed in Michigan and Florida, and we help victims of medical malpractice and birth trauma in these states.
If your baby was diagnosed with HIE, seizures, cerebral palsy, motor disorders, periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), hydrocephalus, intellectual disabilities, or developmental delays, or if you experienced problems during delivery or shortly before or after birth, please call us. Our medical malpractice attorneys and medical staff are available to speak with you 24/7.
A Michigan native who graduated from both Michigan State University and Cooley Law School, Mr. Weidenfeller has limited his practice of law to representing individuals who have been permanently injured and families who have lost a loved one as the result of medical errors for more than 20 years. In that time, he has been featured on the cover of Michigan Lawyer’s Weekly and has spoken to many and varied professional groups about trial practice and effective communication.
