Baltimore Jaundice Lawyer
Jaundice is one of the most common medical conditions in newborn babies. In fact, over 60 percent of newborns experience jaundice after birth. Jaundice will typically resolve itself in the days and weeks following birth, but it is still imperative that doctors manage it properly. Just because jaundice is common does not mean doctors should ignore the condition.
When left unmonitored, jaundice can pose a major health risk to infants and can result in developmental delays, permanent injuries, and in rare cases, even death. Any time a doctor does not address jaundice properly and an infant suffers harm as a result, it is important to speak to a Baltimore jaundice lawyer that can advise on your case.
What is Jaundice?
Jaundice is a condition that is a result of too much bilirubin accumulating in the bloodstream. Bilirubin is a toxin that is created when the red blood cells in the body break down, which is a naturally occurring process. The liver regularly filters bilirubin out of the bloodstream, although a much smaller amount is also excreted through the urine.
When the liver is functioning properly, it will filter out the appropriate amounts of bilirubin, leaving only a small portion of it in the blood. The livers of infants are usually strong enough to filter out bilirubin from the blood. However, in some cases, the liver is not fully developed and therefore, cannot completely rid the blood of the toxin. As such, the levels of bilirubin become too high and the infant develops jaundice as a result.
Jaundice is a naturally occurring condition and so, its presence alone is not enough to constitutemedical malpractice. Lawsuits that involve jaundice in infants are not based on the fact that jaundice developed but rather, that the pediatrician and other healthcare professionals did not properly manage it.
Sufficient Monitoring and Management of Jaundice is Crucial for Newborns
When bilirubin accumulates in the bloodstream, the first sign is a yellowish tint in the eyes, as well as the skin. Doctors usually notice this telltale sign of jaundice but unfortunately, too often they do nothing about it.
Medical professionals are accustomed to seeing jaundice, and know the condition is usually nothing to worry about. As such, they sometimes fail to take the appropriate steps to stop the condition from becoming something far more serious. In these cases, infants can suffer serious harm, including death. Kernicterus, a life-threatening brain condition, is just one of the complications that can result from mismanaged and unmonitored jaundice.
Our Birth Injury Lawyers in Baltimore Can Help in Jaundice Cases
If your child developed jaundice after birth and the medical team did nothing to properly monitor and manage it, our Baltimore birth injury lawyers can help. At Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman, LLC, our skilled attorneys have seen the devastating effects of untreated jaundice, and we are dedicated to helping parents make things right. Call us today at 410.567.0800 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation and to learn more about how we can help with your case.
