Boston Hypoxia Attorneys
Hypoxia refers to low oxygen.
When there is a significant reduction in the amount of oxygen supply to the body's cells and tissues, neurological damage will occur. Hypoxia is a dangerous condition, and it is the most prevalent cause of brain injury in fetuses and newborns. Other negative outcomes can be cerebral palsy, epilepsy, vision impairments, developmental delays, eating disorders, ADHD and, sometimes, wrongful death.
Examples of situations that may result in hypoxia are prolonged labor, full-term infants delivered in breech position, sedation of the mother of premature infants and placental abruption. Additionally, there is research indicating that cord clamping is a probable cause of newborn hypoxia due to the interruption of the natural transfusion of oxygen-rich placental blood to the newborn.
Although intrauterine brain damage due to hypoxia cannot be reversed, further damage can possibly be avoided. There have been promising clinical trials of therapeutic hypothermia as treatment of hypoxia in newborns. Both selective head cooling and whole body cooling have proven to be neuro-protective and safe for infants who have hypoxia as long as the treatment is initiated within the first six hours of birth.
There are a number of causes of hypoxia. Some are beyond our control, but others are due to human error or medical malpractice. If, during labor, there are indications that the baby's heart rate is low and remains low, possibly caused by cord compression, preventive measures such as emergency cesarean section delivery can save a baby from oxygen deprivation that can lead to serious brain damage. A delay in making the critical decision to operate may cause major, if not tragic, results.
During a well monitored labor and delivery, babies are generally not at risk for hypoxia. Unfortunately, there are exceptions. It is when the exception arises, that disaster can creep in. Women and their families rely on the competence of their caregivers and come to believe that they are in good hands. For the most part, this is true. If your baby suffered hypoxia during the birth process or soon after birth and you have doubts about the care that you or your newborn received, consult with a knowledgeable Boston birth injury lawyer at the Kiley Law Group. Contact us today to find out how we can help you.
