Oxygen deprivation is one of the most serious types of birth injuries. It can cause permanent damage, resulting in death or lifelong physical and mental disabilities. If your child has injuries from oxygen deprivation at birth and you believe your physician or healthcare provider is responsible, a birth asphyxia lawyer can help you assess your legal options for financial compensation.
Understanding Birth Asphyxia and Its Impact
Birth asphyxia or perinatal asphyxia is a type of birth injury in which an infant’s body doesn’t receive sufficient oxygen during the birthing process. The lack of oxygen causes permanent damage to the brain and organs, resulting in death or long-term physical and mental disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, or developmental delays.
Birth asphyxia can occur at any stage of delivery when gas exchange or blood flow is interrupted during birth.
Common causes of perinatal oxygen deprivation include:
- Twisted umbilical cord
- Delayed delivery
- Placental abruption
- Insufficient fetal monitoring
- Aspiration from amniotic fluid
How a Philadelphia Birth Asphyxia Injury Lawyer Can Help
Proving medical malpractice in birth asphyxia cases is difficult, as you must prove that the physician violated accepted standards of care. A birth asphyxia lawyer understands the relevant medical standard of care and how to prove lapses in professional competence. A medical malpractice attorney can investigate the incident, identify physician negligence, and represent you in litigation. Most importantly, a lawyer can protect your interests and fight to hold negligent medical professionals accountable for their wrongdoing.
When Birth Asphyxia Becomes a Case of Medical Malpractice
Birth asphyxia may be considered medical malpractice if it occurs due to the negligence of a physician or other health professional. A physician is considered negligent if they violate the applicable standard of medical care and cause harm to the patient. Even if the oxygen deprivation is due to a pre-existing condition, doctors can still be found responsible for injuries if they fail to detect and treat it in a timely manner.
Below are some examples of malpractice resulting in birth asphyxia:
- The doctor or other healthcare provider fails to recognize oxygen deprivation during delivery.
- The delivery team fails to monitor the infant’s vitals after birth.
- The doctor fails to remove an umbilical cord wrapped around the infant’s neck.
- A doctor ignores patient and newborn complications and has to perform an emergency C-section.
Given the nature of medical malpractice cases, expert testimony is a powerful type of evidence. Medical experts in a relevant field can assess whether the physician in question made a lapse in judgment and deviated from the applicable standard of care.
Why Choose Our Philadelphia Birth Asphyxia Lawyers
The attorneys at Eisenberg, Rothweiler, Winkler, Eisenberg, & Jeck, P.C. have extensive experience navigating medical malpractice cases in Philadelphia. We have achieved several multi-million-dollar results for medical malpractice victims and have the resources to pursue cases involving complex birth injuries. Birth asphyxia can result in a life of complications and invasive medical care for your child, but we can help you secure the compensation you and your family need for healing and stability.
Contact our offices today for a free case consultation with a Philadelphia oxygen deprivation birth injury lawyer. We’re here for you for life’s toughest trials.
