“[I]njury is swift but preventable.”
That reality relating to a birth injury called hypoxia underscores the critical need for obstetricians and all members of a delivery team to act with competence and dispatch to properly identify hypoxia symptoms and timely attend to them to avoid serious harm to an infant.
An online overview of the birth injury hypoxia notes what it is, namely, the inadequate flow of oxygen to a baby’s brain. Such a condition can have devastating effects on both a newborn and family members.
As the overview points out, hypoxia that progresses beyond a birth complication that is timely recognized and treated “can be the result of medical negligence on the part of the doctor or other health care professionals.”
The reason: Once identified, hypoxia is often amenable to proper treatment steps that are undertaken without undue delay.
In other words: A delivery team can often ensure that serious — and sometimes permanent — hypoxia-linked disabilities are avoided by merely doing its job in a manner that is commensurate with the recognized standard of care practiced in the industry.
Failure to provide appropriate care can yield adverse consequences for a newborn that last for a lifetime. When hypoxia isn’t duly recognized or treated, it can lead to permanent cognitive impairments, such as those that sometimes arise with conditions such as cerebral palsy.
The costs relating to lifelong therapies and supportive care can, obviously, be onerously high. Where a medical team or hospital is responsible for a birth injury resulting in those costs, it is certainly reasonable to demand that the negligence directly linked to a devastating injury be called to account in any assessment of future care needs.
As noted in the above-cited hypoxia primer, any parents with questions or concerns regarding a birth-related injury to their child “should have the facts … reviewed by an experienced attorney.”
Doing so can help secure all relevant legal rights and ensure that any legal filing that is contemplated is commenced within applicable time limits and fully addresses all damage claims.
Get Legal Help About Your Birth Injury Matter
If you or a loved one is seriously injured by a birth injury, we recommend you contact us to discuss your legal options. Our birth injury medical malpractice attorneys may be able to help you get the compensation you need. We provide a no-obligation, free initial consultation. Call 602-910-6779 or send us an e-mail to request your consultation.