Perinatal asphyxia

Delivery complications? You may be able to take legal action!

Unfortunately, birth injuries can take a time of joy and happiness and turn it into a difficult and emotional moment. One of these birth injuries is perinatal asphyxia. This is when the baby’s brain is deprived of oxygen at any point, usually during the labor process. The condition is serious and causes the child to stop breathing for a certain amount of time. It can lead to numerous conditions which can affect the child’s brain for the rest of his or her life.

Perinatal asphyxia can lead to the following conditions:

• Anoxia
• Hypoxia
• Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)
• Cerebral palsy

Making sure you receive medical attention immediately is important. Certain tests, such as CT scans and MRIs, may be needed to determine the severity of the perinatal asphyxia and how much damage was done to the child’s brain due to oxygen deprivation. Without treatment, these conditions can worsen and cause lifelong effects that can limit your child in the future. It is important to act quickly to determine treatment options you may have.

Call (713) 489-0993 for a free case evaluation with our team.

Symptoms of Perinatal Asphyxia

If your baby has gone through the various tests available to determine perinatal asphyxia and for some reason, the results are not indicating the condition, there may be other symptoms you may notice. For instance, you may notice that your child is having trouble breathing on his or her own. Another symptom is the changing of skin color to a blue or pale shade. The baby may also experience seizures, low heart rate, weak muscle tone, excessive acid in the blood, or meconium-stained amniotic fluid. If you notice any of these symptoms, it can be a sign that your baby experienced perinatal asphyxia and may need emergency medical attention.

What Causes Perinatal Asphyxia

Unfortunately, one of the most common causes of perinatal asphyxia is a kink or some kind of pinching of the umbilical cord. This is a situation that can often be caught if the fetus is monitored closely by the medical professional. If the medical professional notices a kink or pinch in the umbilical cord, they may perform an emergency cesarean section to deliver the baby and alleviate the stress on the umbilical cord. If the fetus is not properly monitored, doctors may miss this and it can result in serious damage to the baby.

Our Houston perinatal asphyxia lawyers at Hampton & King have more than 60 years of experience navigating the complex area of birth injury claims. We can work with you and your family to prove medical negligence may have been the cause of the perinatal asphyxia. If your child is suffering from a brain injury, let our firm be the advocates you need.

Ready to file a claim? Call (713) 489-0993 to learn your options.