HIE Birth Injuries: Infant Cooling & Medical Malpractice
Among the most traumatic and heartbreaking birth injuries is hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, or HIE. HIE is a serious medical condition in which a lack of oxygen to the brain due to insufficient blood flow can lead to brain injury and other organ damage in infants during the perinatal period, which is directly before or after birth. 1
Current medical protocols for HIE birth injury treatment in specific clinical cases include infant “whole body cooling,” a form of induced hypothermia.2 The goal of the procedure is to reduce cases of death and disability due to HIE birth injuries. It requires that several distinct processes, including those involving exact times and temperatures, be followed as the standard of care. 3
While HIE in itself may be a result of birth injury medical malpractice negligence, improper administration of whole body cooling due to an HIE birth injury can lead to further injury and additional instances of medical malpractice negligence. From incorrect monitoring during cooling to sedation errors, various negligent actions can cause a breach in the standard of care.
Provable medical malpractice negligence involving HIE birth injuries often results in legal action. Proving medical malpractice negligence in HIE birth injury cases requires effective demonstration that the current established standard of care was not met, and as a result the baby endured a birth injury. Hiring an expert attorney or legal team experienced in birth injury cases of this type is one of the most critical efforts necessary to ensure that fair compensation is received by parents for their birth injury negligence settlement. Costs for care and services for an HIE birth injury child can be significant, particularly in cases in which a child’s required care and services will be far-reaching and ongoing.
In cases of provable medical malpractice negligence involving birth asphyxia, HIE, and related issues, consulting with an experienced Florida birth injury lawyer for an initial consultation to discuss your baby’s birth injury is an important step. It can be beneficial to research information about lawyers who specialize in birth injuries, and if possible, who specialize in HIE birth injury cases or the particular type of birth injury affecting your baby.
Many expert lawyers and experienced legal groups provide free initial consultations. At Mallard & Sharp, P.A., we specialize in a variety of HIE related birth injuries both in Miami, Florida and throughout Florida, including those involving birth asphyxia and infant whole body cooling. To schedule a complimentary initial consultation with our expert legal team please call 877.662.5527 or 305.461.4800.
1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430782/
2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3743149/
3 Shankaran S, Laptook AR, Ehrenkranz RA, et al. Whole-body hypothermia for neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. N Engl J Med. 2005;353:1574–84.