Brain Injuries Caused by Forceps and Vacuum Extractors
According to a reputable medical study,
each year one in 1,900 infants delivered
vaginally sustains a brain injury, as does
one in 2,750 delivered via cesarean section.
That risk is doubled—and sometimes
tripled—for babies who experience
difficult deliveries that involve the use
of delivery tools: roughly one in 664 infants
delivered using medical forceps suffers
a brain injury, as does one in 860 infants
delivered using vacuum extraction.
If you believe your child sustained brain
injury during delivery, please contact
the brain injury lawyers of Kenneth M. Sigelman
& Associates.
What are the dangers associated with forceps and vacuum extractors?
Forceps and vacuum extractors are considered
safe when appropriately used, but all too
often physicians act negligently—harming
infants who up to that point were considered
healthy. Forceps, which are large tweezers
used to turn the baby into the appropriate
direction for birth, may be used on the
wrong side of the baby’s head or at
the wrong stage of labor, causing severe
cranial damage, bruising, indentations,
blood loss, and cephalohematoma. Cephalohematoma—bleeding
between a bone and its covering—typically
surfaces on infants’ heads and can
cause jaundice if particularly large. Vacuum
extractors, which attach a soft plastic
cap to the baby’s head, essentially
suction the baby out when the mother has
a contraction. Vacuum extractors can cause
a myriad of problems as well, including
lacerations, blood clots, surface bruising,
bruising under the scalp or skull, and Caput
Succedaneum, which is severe swelling of
the scalp. All of these injuries can lead
to permanent brain damage, developmental
delays, seizures, and sometimes death.
If you believe your child sustained brain
injury during delivery, please contact
the brain injury attorneys of Kenneth M.
Sigelman & Associates.
What can I do if my child suffered a brain injury at the hand of a negligent physician?
If your child has suffered a brain injury
as a result of a physician’s negligence
or error when using either of these two
methods of extraction, he or she may be
entitled to lifelong compensation. Please
contact our office today to learn more.
Kernicterus
What is kernicterus?
Kernicterus is a progressive type of brain
damage that results in vision and dental
problems, mental retardation, hearing loss
and, sometimes, athetoid cerebral palsy.
It develops in infants who suffer from untreated,
severe jaundice, a condition characterized
by yellowing of the eyes and skin. Quite
common in newborns, jaundice occurs when
the liver manufactures too much of the yellow
pigment bilirubin. Bilirubin is a byproduct
left by broken-down red blood cells. If
too many blood cells die at once, bilirubin
builds up in the liver and eventually disperses
to the brain, skin, and whites of the eyes.
Jaundice usually clears up on its own but,
if it doesn’t, the excess bilirubin
in the brain can cause severe brain injury.
If you believe your child acquired kernicterus
because of medical negligence, please contact
the brain injury lawyers of Kenneth M. Sigelman
& Associates .
How can kernicterus be prevented?
The threat of kernicterus arises when
a physician fails to 1) properly diagnose
jaundice and 2) administer proper treatment
within a timely manner to babies whose jaundice
does not clear up on its own. Babies with
advanced jaundice typically undergo phototherapy
treatment, which involves placing them under
special lights designed to facilitate their
healing, or are given blood transfusions.
But if a physician neglects to treat these
babies, jaundice can develop into full-blown
kernicterus. Only through proper diagnosis
and treatment can it be prevented.
If you believe your child acquired kernicterus
because of medical malpractice, please contact
the brain injury attorneys of Kenneth M.
Sigelman & Associates .
What are the warning signs of kernicterus?
Kernicterus is categorized by:
- Increased restlessness
- Very yellow or orangey skin from the
top of the head to between the toes
- Decrease in level of alertness
- High-pitched crying
- Limpness or excessive tiredness
- Decreased ability to nurse or suck
- Arching of the body into a bow shape
It is believed that kernicterus is more
likely to develop in babies who are released
too early from the hospital—especially
if these babies are jaundiced. It is imperative
that parents be aware of this risk.
If you believe your child acquired kernicterus
because of medical negligence, please contact
the brain injury lawyers of Kenneth M. Sigelman
& Associates .
What can I do if my child has developed kernicterus?
If your child has developed kernicterus
as a result of untreated or misdiagnosed
jaundice, your family is entitled to compensation.
Please contact Kenneth M. Sigelman &
Associates so that we may advise you of
your legal rights.
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For further information on brain injuries, seek the expertise of our brain injury lawyers at Kenneth M. Sigelman & Associates - Attorneys at Law - today!
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