Maryland Brain Injury Attorney for Birth-Related Medical Malpractice

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As patients, we rely on healthcare professionals to provide a standard level of care. We expect, and rightfully so, that due diligence will be taken in diagnosing and treating our illnesses and injuries. In fact, medical professionals have a legal obligation to deliver a certain level of care based on their training and the tools at their disposal. They also have an obligation to refer patients to specialists if they cannot diagnose or treat the specific condition at hand.

When doctors, anesthesiologists, surgeons, nurses, or other healthcare professionals fail to uphold their obligation to their patients, catastrophic injuries can result. Brain damage is one of these. Brain injuries can be linked to medical malpractice as a result of diagnostic errors, birth trauma, anesthesia malpractice, medication errors, and more.

Recognizing Early Warning Signs of Newborn Brain Injury

Brain injury in a newborn may reveal itself immediately. Immediate signs of brain injury may include decreased or absent breathing, low or absent heart rate, pale or blue color, pupils of different size, lack of movement of one side, stiffness, seizures, abnormal movements, jitteriness, irritability or stupor.

Symptoms of a brain injury may continue to evolve as the brain injury evolves. During the initial birth hospitalization, this may include all of the previous signs and symptoms along with difficulty feeding, absent or delayed reflexes, difficulty maintaining a normal temperature, excessive drowsiness, and abnormally increasing head circumference if there is suspected bleeding in the brain or hydrocephalus.

Concerned About a Birth-Related Brain Injury? Contact Maryland Lawyer Michael Bereston for a Confidential Consultation Michael Bereston at (410) 220-6581 . Offering Nationwide Services.

Comprehensive Representation for Brain Injury Cases in Maryland

Based in Annapolis, the Law Firm of Michael H. Bereston takes on medical malpractice cases across Maryland and throughout the country. We can handle brain injury malpractice cases involving:

• Obstetric malpractice, leading to infant brain damage:
  • Delayed C-section
  • Failure to respond to fetal distress
  • Mismanagement of childbirth complications
  • Kernicterus (misdiagnosis/failure to treat severe jaundice)
• Surgical malpractice:
  • Anesthesia errors
  • Intubation and airway management negligence
  • Post-operative infection
• Bacterial meningitis (misdiagnosis/delayed treatment)
• Stroke (misdiagnosis/failure to treat)

Get Your Free Case Review with Our Maryland Brain Injury Law Firm at (410) 220-6581 today.

Understanding Intracranial Hemorrhages in Infants

An intracranial hemorrhage is a medical term for a “brain bleed.” Most brain bleeds are suffered by newborns who are injured during labor or delivery. Bleeding can occur extracranially or intracranially. Extracranial bleeding most often are a result of swelling or bleeding within the scalp or the skull. Intracranial hemorrhages are often associated with excessive force used by a healthcare provider when forceps or vacuums are used.

Infant intracranial hemorrhages are caused primarily by:

• Birth asphyxia: When an infant suffers severe oxygen deprivation before, during, or after birth
• Trauma: This may include a subdural or subarachnoid hemorrhage which may form as a result of improper vacuum extraction or placement of forceps.
• Hemorrhagic Stroke
• Prematurity: Typically intraventricular hemorrhages occur in preterm deliveries but these can also occur in babies with significant head trauma during labor or birth.
• Infection
• Genetic or vascular malformations

An extracranial hemorrhage is a bleeding injury that occurs between the scalp and the skull and does not affect the brain directly. Although extracranial hemorrhages are not as serious as intracranial hemorrhages, medical professionals still need to pay close attention and address these injuries as soon as they occur.