Maryland NICU Lawyer
Having a baby should be a joyful experience for expectant parents, but sadly, that is not always the case. Errors during labor and delivery can cause complications to a newborn and send them to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) instead of the hospital nursery.
This is a scary situation for parents. How badly is their baby injured? How long will they have to stay in the NICU? Unfortunately, parents may not always get the information they need about their baby’s health as doctors and nurses try to cover up what really happened. Parents may have many questions about the issues their newborn will face, but medical professionals may not fully answer their questions or may bombard them with too much medical information.
NICU errors occur far too often and cause significant pain and suffering for babies. Has your baby been affected? If you don’t understand your baby’s situation and aren’t getting answers you need during these uncertain times, let the Maryland NICU lawyers team at Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman help you through the process. We can assess your baby’s medical records and help address your concerns about your baby’s future.
Common NICU Issues
One of the reasons why a baby might be in the NICU shortly after birth is due to brain injury. This is often caused by lack of oxygen, or asphyxia, due to prematurity, although brain damage can also be caused by botched labor and delivery. Sepsis and infection can also occur during labor and delivery and can even lead to death. Here are some other medical errors to be aware of:
- Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). This is a brain injury caused by oxygen deprivation to the brain or restricted blood flow to the brain. This can lead to seizures in a newborn.
- Neonatal encephalopathy (NE). This is a brain injury that can occur if a newborn experiences brain dysfunction shortly after birth.
- Cerebral palsy. This is the most common childhood motor disability in childhood. Half of all children who have cerebral palsy also have a co-occurring condition such as epilepsy. Many cases of cerebral palsy are the result of medical mistakes during labor and delivery.
- Failure to detect abnormal fetal development. Sometimes babies are too big or too small. They could be small or large for gestational age, which can have effects on both the baby and the mother.
- Failure to diagnose potential birth complications. When the baby is in a breech position or the head is too big, it can lead to complications during labor and delivery, such as shoulder dystocia and Erb’s palsy.
Contact Us Today
If your baby had to go to the NICU after delivery, you likely have questions and concerns. Why did this happen? Is negligence at play?
If your doctor failed to properly monitor your baby’s glucose levels and your baby suffered complications as a result, you may have a valid medical malpractice claim. The experienced NICU lawyers at Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman can assist you with the process. Call (410) 567-0800 to schedule a consultation today.
