Birth Injury Encephalopathy Attorneys in New York City

The birth of a child is supposed to be a joyous event. It is a time of growth, love, and new beginnings. It should not be an experience fraught with danger, horror, and tragedy.

And, it unquestionably should not be a time of injury. However, due to the negligence of a doctor or hospital staff, all too often, the lives of newborns and their families are forever shattered by tragedy, which, in most cases, should have been avoided.

In many instances, the birth-injury of a newborn is occasioned by the negligence of a delivery-room doctor (or hospital staff) in failing to act to avoid a significant deprivation of oxygen to a child during birth. The deprivation of oxygen is something that, with the proper techniques, can, in most instances, be completely avoided.

When it is not avoided, a decrease in oxygen to the child can result in significant, lifelong, injuries, such as Ischemic Encephalopathy.

If a loved one has suffered a birth injury due to anoxia or hypoxia, contact a New York City Birth Injury Lawyer at Finz & Finz, P.C., now at (855) TOP-FIRM or complete the Free Case Evaluation form to find out how Finz & Finz, P.C., can help you.

Hypoxic verses Anoxic Encephalopathy

Anoxia is the absence of oxygen, and hypoxia is the marked decrease of oxygen. The resulting birth injuries are usually correlative to the levels of oxygen deprivation (i.e., partial or total). In either case, the unnecessary limitations placed on the flow of oxygen in the blood to the child’s brain, due to the negligence of a hospital or doctor, results in the death of brain cells. And, the result of the death of brain cells, due to a lack of oxygen-rich-blood to the brain, can result in lifelong disability. In both situations, the causes of oxygen deprivation may be many; but, the signs of its imminence are there and the doctor and hospital may be a fault for failing to identify it and respond quickly.

Signs of a Hypoxic or Anoxic Event

In modern labor and delivery units, all birthing-cases are monitored by multiple diagnostic tools. One of these tools is electronic fetal monitoring, which tracks the heart-rate of the child, and in that way, monitors the oxygen exchange between the mother and the child during labor.

If the electronic fetal monitoring reflects that there is an increase in the heart-rate of the child, then it is indicative of a possibility of reduced oxygen to the child. Reduced oxygen, as mentioned above, can cause serious injuries to the newborn. These injuries are usually diagnosed as encephalopathy.

Encephalopathy is a general term used to describe multiple disorders in the brain. Anoxia is the absence of oxygen. When cells, particularly in the brain, are deprived of blood, or more importantly the oxygen that the blood carries, they become ischemic. It is the ischemia, or the lack of blood flow to the brain, which leads to a birth injury, such as Ischemic Encephalopathy.

What are the Results of Hypoxic or Anoxic Encephalopathy?

Failure to protect a child from oxygen deprivation during labor can result in significant developmental delays, and can result in impairment to the cognitive, psychological, and general physical function of the child.

Moreover, the leading cause of seizures in newborns (within the first 24 hours) is hypoxic or anoxic ischemic encephalopathy. These seizures alone can be injurious to a newborn.

Beyond the initial injuries associated with hypoxia and anoxia, the sequella which result from those initial brain insults can lead to disorders such as brain damage, cerebral palsy, hypertonicity, and epilepsy. This can destroy a normal life and turn what should be a joyous event, into the beginning of a lifetime of care.

Legal Help for Hypoxic or Anoxic Encephalopathy Victims

If a loved one has suffered a birth injury due to anoxia or hypoxia, contact a Birth Injury Attorney at Finz & Finz, P.C., now at (855) TOP-FIRM or complete the Free Case Evaluation form to find out how Finz & Finz, P.C., can help you.