Chicago Birth Injury Lawyer Blog

Parents who suffer from a combination of gestational diabetes (GDM) and obesity have recently been linked to an increased chance of delivering children with macrosomia. Macrosomia, having a very high birth weight, can lead to various birth injuries if not recognized and approached correctly by a patient’s doctor.

A recent investigation reported by Dr. Metzger, M.D., of Northwestern University School of Medicine in Chicago found that obese women had a 13.6% increased chance of delivering a baby with macrosomia compared to women of a healthy weight. If an obese woman then develops gestational diabetes her risk of delivering a macrosomic child is 20.2% above that of a woman of normal weight.

Delivering a baby with a high birth weight takes much more finesse than delivering a baby of normal weight. If a doctor fails to recognize that a baby is macrosomic they may not be able to take the necessary precautions to minimize the risks posed by the delivery. According to Allahyar Jazayeri, M.D. in an article posted by emedicine, attempts at perinatal diagnosis of macrosomia have proven difficult and are often inaccurate so a doctor should always be prepared for the possible complications of macrosomia.

Our Chicago, Illinois birth injury attorneys at Levin & Perconti recently received a settlement for a child born macrosomic whose doctors failed to properly deliver her. During delivery, the baby’s left shoulder became stuck on the mother’s pubic bone, causing a shoulder dystocia. A shoulder dystocia is a medical emergency that requires a series of careful maneuvers to disimpact the baby’s shoulder. If the doctor or nurse applies too much force the baby’s brachial plexus nerves can be damaged and the baby can develop a personal injury.

It is always devastating when a child is born with a preventable birth injury due to medical malpractice. When medical malpractice does occur, it is important to seek legal counsel to receive compensation that will allow the newborn child to receive the medical treatment necessary to give him a long and fulfilling life.

The Daily Herald reports that a medical malpractice lawsuit resulted in a $29.1 million verdict for a boy suffering the effects of a severe birth injury. Medical malpractice occurring during the boy’s delivery at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago resulted in the child’s Chicago birth injury and brain damage. The boy is now six years old and suffers from quadriplegia and Cerebral Palsy, disorders that resulted from brain injury during his birth. NBC Chicago explains that a doctor ignored an infection in the mother prior to birth, and failure to treat the infection resulted in the child being born with Cerebral Palsy. As a result of the birth injury, the boy cannot walk, talk, or eat through his mouth.

Cerebral Palsy Information explains that Cerebral Palsy is often caused by brain injury either during pregnancy, during birth or shortly after birth. Several infections during a mother’s pregnancy can severely damage a fetus’ nervous system and result in Cerebral Palsy. Quadriplegia is a form of Cerebral Palsy that affects a child’s arms and legs and causes stiff, permanently contracted muscles.

4MyChild notes that about ten to twenty percent of children with Cerebral Palsy acquired it after birth, while many more children developed it during pregnancy or at birth. Two aspects of long labor send signals to doctors that brain damage can result in a birth injury to a baby. If a baby becomes stuck in the mother’s birth canal without oxygen or a doctor does not deliver the baby within 24 hours of the mother’s water breaking, the baby is at a significantly increased risk for a birth injury. Furthermore, doctors need to pay attention to whether the mother develops a fever during pregnancy because this too can lead to brain damage.

As 4My Child explains, quick action is the key to giving birth to a healthy baby instead of one with serious birth injury consequences like Cerebral Palsy. No child should have to suffer the effects of birth injuries that occurred because of medical malpractice. When medical malpractice does occur, however, and a child suffers the life long consequences of a doctor’s negligence, our Illinois birth injury lawyers are here to help.

According to Delaware Online, a Delaware Superior Court jury recently determined that a doctor’s medical malpractice and negligent failure to treat properly treat jaundice caused a newborn baby boy to develop Cerebral Palsy. The jury awarded $6.25 million in damages to the baby’s family. The baby was born without complications, but his mother took him to see the doctor four days later when his appearance turned yellow. The doctor failed to properly treat the jaundice by not testing the baby’s bilirubin level and not doing phototherapy. Had the doctor actually done these tests, the doctor would have found toxic levels of bilirubin in the baby’s system and could have cured the baby very quickly. Instead, the baby’s illness went undiagnosed and untreated until it was too late to reverse the damage done. The baby developed Cerebral Palsy.

March of Dimes explains that Cerebral Palsy is a group of conditions that cause abnormalities in parts of the brain that control muscle movements, and Cerebral Palsy affects a person’s movement, balance and posture. Severe jaundice can cause Cerebral Palsy. Jaundice is a yellowing of the skin and eyes that results in a pigment called bilirubin building up in the bloodstream. When the levels of bilirubin become too high, such as the toxic levels found in the Delaware baby, a baby is at risk for permanent brain damage which leads to Cerebral Palsy. Severe jaundice needs to be treated quickly, such as with special lights and blood transfusions.

The Illinois birth injury attorneys at Levin & Perconti have years of experience representing clients who have suffered birth injuries, including those resulting in Cerebral Palsy. Because Cerebral Palsy leads to lifelong medical expenses and often the need for special medical care, receiving a verdict or settlement can help compensate the families affected by Cerebral Palsy. As explained to Delaware Online, the Delaware baby’s mother was “thankful the award will enable her son to receive the care that he needs”. If you believe your baby has suffered a birth injury or brain injury as a result of the negligence of medical personnel, please contact our Chicago birth injury lawyers to discuss your case.

As cerebralpalsy.org reports, Cerebral Palsy is a group of disorders that can be caused by a birth injury or brain damage later in life, and it results from the brain’s inability to control the body adequately. Cerebral Palsy affects chronic movement and posture, causing stiff or difficult movement, loss of depth perception and balance, and/or involuntary or uncontrolled movements. Approximately 10,000 babies each year in the United States will develop Cerebral Palsy, and it is estimated that 800,000 people in the United States live with the disorder. Of that number, about 2-3 children out of every 1,000 children have Cerebral Palsy.

A York Daily Record interview with Kyle Barnhart, a 19 year old college student, shows that people affected by a Cerebral Palsy birth disorder can overcome their disability and become very successful. Barnhart lives with Cerebral Palsy, and while he travels across campus in a motorized wheelchair, uses an electronic communication device to help him speak, and is assisted by aides, his life reflects that of a typical college student. Barnhart throws around a football with his friends, participates in dorm pranks and antics and regularly speaks in class. Cerebral Palsy is thought to be caused by a prenatal brain injury, but Barnhart does not have mental disabilities; in fact, he made the Dean’s List during his first semester of college.

Our Chicago birth injury attorneys represent clients who have developed Cerebral Palsy as a result of medical malpractice and doctor error. For example, we reached a $4.5 million settlement on behalf of a child who suffered brain injury leading to Cerebral Palsy because a doctor failed to perform a timely Caesarean section despite fetal distress. The Illinois birth injury lawyers at our firm also reached a $2.3 million settlement for another child who suffered a severe brain injury and Cerebral Palsy when a physician failed to perform a Caesarean section in a timely manner after the child’s mother complained of a ripping and tearing feeling in her uterus. Birth injuries, such as Cerebral Palsy, often require lifelong medical care. Verdicts and settlements reached on behalf of victims can help to compensate for lifetime medical expenses, potential loss of income and pain and suffering from these injuries. If you believe that your child suffered a birth injury as a result of a healthcare provider’s negligence, please contact us to discuss your case.

Researchers at Harvard Medical School recently released a paper in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology that found the average birth weight in American newborns has dropped by two ounces. The study looked at babies born between 1990 and 2005 and noted that this was the first decline in average birth weight since the 1950s. Additionally, the study found a decrease in the number of large babies born. This is seen as a positive because it leads to fewer instances of birth trauma. A decrease in the number of babies born over the 90th percentile also reduces the occurrence of serious birth injuries that can lead to lifelong health conditions, such as cerebral palsy. Follow the link to read more about this birth weight study.

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has just announced that it will be launching a new research program called the Medication Exposure in Pregnancy Risk Evaluation Program to study the effects of prescription drugs taken during pregnancy. The program is a collaborative effort between the FDA and researchers at the HMO Research Network Center for Education and Research in Therapeutics (CERT), Kaiser Permanente, and Vanderbilt University.

According to a new study, most mothers have taken at least one prescription drug during pregnancy, yet little is known about the actual risks of taking such drugs, such as the development of birth defects, because clinical research regarding drug safety during pregnancy is scant. This new program should provide the answers that doctors need for prescribing medications and allow expectant mothers to make informed decisions regarding the health of themselves and their babies.

Read more about the details of this new study at injuryboard.com.

A research team at Wayne State University is convinced that the big solution to preventing and treating cerebral palsy may come in a small package. The husband-and-wife team consisting of chemical engineering professor, Rangaramanujam Kannan and assistant pediatrics professor Dr. Sujatha Kannan, has received a patent for using tiny polymers to attack what it considers to be the root of the disorder: inflammation in the brain.

Cerebral palsy is a condition made up of a group of motor disorders caused by brain damage that often occurs after suffering from a birth injury or an infection that develops while in the womb. Prevention of the condition has thus far proven to be very difficult because it is generally diagnosed only after the damage has already occurred.

The research team has developed tiny tree-shaped polymers called dendrimers, which range from 5-10 nanometers long (over 700 times smaller than a human red blood cell), that are used to carry medicine directly to inflamed areas in the brain. The team believes that this method, in conjunction with the identification and diagnosis of the neuroinflammation in newborns, could prevent, or at least reduce, the development of cerebral palsy. Dr. Kannan is currently able to detect such inflammation in the brains of newborn rabbits and she believes that doctors might eventually be able to do the same in human newborns. Once detected, the dendrimers could then be used to target the inflammation, which in turn could prevent the condition from developing.

For more information on using this nanotechnology to treat cerebral palsy, click here.

In a recent study conducted by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the cases of child birth injuries are decreasing due to some medical breakthroughs and improvements on the healthcare system. The agency recently released data from 1,000 hospitals across the US and found that more than 157,000 child birth injuries could have prevented. The most common of the preventable birth injuries was the tearing between the vagina and rectum. This process is not complicated; however, some doctors had failed to fix it perfectly so that it caused complications. The study also revealed that instruments such as forceps put mothers at higher risk of vaginal tears. Also, mothers from wealthy households were 44 percent more likely to have vaginal injuries compared to those from low-income families. This is due to the increase in premature births in low-income families. The study also showed that certain factors can determine the likelihood of injuries in child birth. White babies are more vulnerable to injuries compared to ethnic groups such as African-American and Hispanic. Also male infants are more vulnerable to birth injuries than female babies. The government data showed that the most common injury among babies is a clavicle fracture. Also babies can dislocate their hips or break their thigh bone when their leg is twisted during deliveries. In some deliveries, brachial plexus, which is a group of nerves located from the neck and arm, may be injured. This happens when the baby’s head and arm is pulled in two opposite directions. To read more about the birth injury study, please click the link.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle throughout pregnancy is very beneficial for not only the health of the mother, but also for reducing the risk of birth injury. Babies born to women who eat a well balanced diet and exercise regularly throughout their pregnancy are less likely to be born prematurely, with low birth-weight or with birth defects. Exercise during pregnancy can maintain a woman’s muscle tone and build muscle which can help to lower the blood pressure of the fetus. Prenatal exercise can be an essential building block to a successful pregnancy and healthy baby. However, a woman should consult with a doctor before beginning any exercise regime in order to reduce any occurrence of birth injury. It is recommended that women who are pregnant keep their heart rate under 140 beats per minute and drink plenty of water. Since the body produces the hormone relaxin, the risk of injury during pregnancy can be increased if there is not special consideration paid to the body. To read more about the ways to decrease birth injury, please click the link.

A study conducted, which included more than 150 newborns with birth injuries, showed great promise in preventing birth injuries. This method involves injections of a hormone that stimulates red blood cell formation. The procedure can begin as late as two days after the birth injury. To read more about this study on preventing birth injuries, click here.

After a 13 million dollar verdict in favor of a mother who was not informed that a cesarean section was an option, the court decided that informed consent needs to involved information about all options. The mother’s son suffered a birth injury because of the lack of consent. The traumatic birth injury the child suffered from was cerebral palsy. This is a huge step for patients informed consent. To read the entire article click here “Informed Consent for Birth Injuries Takes a Small Step Forward”

Between 2000 and 2006, birth injuries have dropped by 30%. Despite the decline, doctors feel that there are still a lot of birth injuries that still can be prevented. It is estimated that approximately 158,000 preventable birth injuries still take place. To read the entire article click here “birth injuries”

Before birth, a baby’s lungs are filled with fluid and very little oxygen flows through them. Instead, it receives oxygen through the placenta and umbilical cord. When an infant is born, a burst of oxygen-rich blood is delivered to him or her by a pulsation of the placenta and umbilical cord until its lungs are working and supplying oxygen on their own. This surge of blood is necessary in order for the newborn’s lungs to adequately expand and supply the brain with the oxygen it needs. Without it, the baby’s lungs fail to function adequately, causing his or her blood pressure to drop. This in turn can lead to oxygen deprivation and result in lung and brain damage.

In as little as 5 minutes after birth, the umbilical cord naturally begins to clamp, halting this blood flow. The common practice of hospitals, however, is to immediately place a clamp on the cord, usually within 1 minute, and often within 30 seconds, following the baby’s birth. This deprives the baby of a continuous source of oxygen until the lungs begin functioning properly. In addition to injuring the baby’s lungs, this lack of oxygen can cause serious brain damage, leading to birth injuries such as cerebral palsy, autism, learning disorders and mental deficiency.

Click here for information about a study into the dangers of premature cord clamping and for more information about umbilical cord clamping birth injuries.

A doctor recently unveiled medical software that may predict the probability of shoulder dystocia during birth. Shoulder dystocia is one of the most common complications during delivery and 20% of cases result in birth injury. Although some doctors believe that shoulder dystocia is both “unpredictable and unpreventable,” users of the new software hope to calculate the risk of this birth injury through algorithms based on data from the mother and baby. Read more about this new software that may predict shoulder dystocia in newborns.

A computer program is shaping up to be the new hero in the prevention of shoulder dystocia and brachial plexus injuries. A new software program, called CALM Shoulder Screen, has been developed that calculates the risk of shoulder dystocia with permanent injury. The program analyzes several factors, including the mothers’ height and weight and determines whether they are at risk of suffering shoulder dystocia during delivery. Those ascertained to be at high risk can avoid the birth injury by opting for delivery by c-section. Obstetricians throughout the country have began utilizing this web-based system and it has been proven effective to be effective. The program can be used anytime after the 37th week of gestation.

For more information about this birth injury prevention software, click here.

When it comes to babies who are deprived of oxygen during birth, every second counts. Delays in the performance of c-sections can cause serious injuries to oxygen-deprived babies, such as brain damage and cerebral palsy. Hospitals and doctors can significantly reduce the length of c-section delays, however, by implementing quality improvement programs by doctors and hospitals, according to a new study published in this month’s issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology. In particular, the study found that, after 2 years of following such a program, the number of emergency c-sections that were delayed for over 30 minutes was reduced by up to 30% in some situations. These findings suggest that many devastating birth injuries could be prevented if hospitals and doctors simply implemented programs to address the delays.

Click the following link for more information about the quality improvement program study and its findings.

Babies who are deprived of oxygen for any significant period of time during birth have a very high risk of suffering permanent brain damage. This risk of birth injury has shown to be reduced, however, by a new therapy that is pretty cool, literally. The therapy, called induced hypothermia, involves placing an infant on a cooling blanket within 6 hours of its birth for a period of 3 days, bringing its temperature down from the normal 98.6 degrees to about 92 degrees. Research shows that, while the therapy may not completely prevent brain damage, babies suffering from hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), or birth hypoxia and asphyxia, that receive the treatment have a greater chance of survival and the extent of their brain damage from oxygen deprivation is reduced.

Read more about this new cooling therapy here.

Scientists at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., have developed two compounds that may be effective in protecting against cerebral palsy. The findings from their experiments with rabbits suggest that the compounds may have prevented the development of the disorder, which would have otherwise developed, following a lack of oxygen to the fetus. Notably, all of the fetuses born to mother rabbits that were treated with the compounds survived, whereas, over half of those without treatment died. Perhaps most impressive is that 83% of the animals treated with one of the compounds were born without any characteristics of cerebral palsy at all. More testing is necessary before they can conclude that the compounds will work to prevent birth injuries in humans, but these findings bring hope that infants subjected to birth hypoxia, such as those who suffer umbilical cord compression during labor, need not suffer permanent brain damage.

Read more about this exciting cerebral palsy prevention breakthrough in an article published by US News & World Report.

Just 4 years ago, only a third of all infants born in the United States were required to undergo screening tests to determine whether they had acquired any of a multitude of conditions. Now, all states and the District of Columbia have enacted rules or regulations requiring newborn screening for at least 21 disorders including genetic, metabolic, hormonal and functional disorders. The screening is important to detect the presence of such birth defects and birth injuries because many have no visible symptoms until after permanent damage has developed. Early detection allows for timely treatment, which can prevent permanent injuries such as brain damage and mental retardation from occurring. If you are interested in learning more about newborn screening and the disorders that it can detect, the March of Dimes is an excellent resource.

Read more about the newborn screening requirements here.

New research, presented at the Third International Cerebral Palsy Conference in Sydney, Australia, indicates that babies born in the breech position (feet-first) are 4 times more likely to develop cerebral palsy later in life than babies born in the normal (head-first) position. According to Diana Heggie, President of Cerebral Palsy Australia, knowing the risk factors of the developmental disorder is just as important as being aware of its current treatment.

A new study by scientists from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Danish researchers has found that babies born to mothers who develop infections while pregnant have a greater risk of having cerebral palsy. Specifically, the study found that the risk of cerebral palsy was increased by 3 to 6 times when the mother had developed infections such as urinary tract infections. This research suggests that missed or delayed diagnoses of the infections, resulting in a lack of early treatment, may cause this birth injury in some babies.

Read more about the pregnancy infection study here.

While babies can develop cerebral palsy a number of different ways, including as a result of medical negligence during birth, premature babies have a significantly higher risk of developing the developmental disorder than babies carried full-term. In fact, about a third of all cases of cerebral palsy occur in pre-term births. Evidence from a new Cochrane Review study, however, indicates that treating women at risk of very preterm birth with magnesium sulfate may increase the baby’s chance of being born free of cerebral palsy by as much as 32 percent. The treatment was also found to decrease the chance of developing other major movement disabilities by 39 percent.

Read more about the magnesium sulfate study here.

A new study has found that treating even mild gestational diabetes significantly reduces the risk of certain birth injuries and lessens the need for emergency C-sections. Gestational diabetes occurs during late pregnancy, when a mother’s body is unable to produce and use all the insulin that it needs. Without enough insulin, the body is unable to convert the glucose into energy and, as a result, it builds up in the mother’s blood. This blood then reaches the baby through the placenta, giving it more sugar than it needs. The baby stores this excess energy as fat. Because the baby is larger than normal, there is an increased risk of its shoulders becoming lodged behind the mother’s pelvis during delivery, a situation known as shoulder dystocia. If the doctors and healthcare providers are negligent in their delivery, the baby can suffer from Brachial Plexus injuries. These injuries can be severe and permanent and may include paralysis and deformation of the baby’s arms. If you have been diagnosed with even a mild case of gestational diabetes, it is therefore important that you receive proper treatment in order to reduce these risks.

Read more about gestational diabetes and its risks here.