Birth Asphyxia and the Brain: Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)
Birth asphyxia is oxygen deprivation that can result in muscle, liver, heart, and brain damage in newborns.1 A variety of conditions and situations can cause Birth asphyxia, from pregnancy to delivery and beyond. It can lead to hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, also referred to as HIE, a serious and specifically brain-related birth injury. In cases of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, cerebral blood flow is disrupted and not enough oxygen is received by a baby’s brain.2
Sadly, birth injuries due to hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy often result in death or major long-term disabilities. Depending on the length of time a baby’s brain is deprived of oxygen, combined with which portion or portions of the brain were most affected, symptoms may include weak or absent reflexes, lethargy, seizures, impaired vision, an abnormal EEG, or others.3
When such birth injuries are due to provable medical malpractice negligence, parents often seek legal help. Proving medical malpractice negligence in hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy cases presents specific legal requirements. The goal is to effectively demonstrate that the current established standard of care was unmet and subsequently resulted in injury to the baby. Hiring an expert attorney or legal team experienced in birth injuries of this type is crucial to ensure that fair compensation is received by parents for their birth injury negligence settlement. Costs for care and services for a child with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy can be substantial, particularly when the child’s required care and services will be ongoing.
In cases of provable medical malpractice negligence involving hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, consulting with an experienced Florida birth injury lawyer for an initial consultation to discuss your child’s birth injury is an important first step. It can be helpful to research information about lawyers who specialize in birth injuries, or if possible, who specialize in Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy cases or the particular type of birth injury your child is suffering from.
Many expert lawyers and legal teams provide free initial consultations. At Mallard & Sharp, P.A., we specialize in a variety of brain-related birth injuries both in Miami Florida and throughout Florida including Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy. To schedule a complimentary initial consultation with our expert legal team call 877.662.5527 or 305.461.4800.
1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430782/