Fetal & Neonatal Brain Injuries

Salt Lake City Utah Fetal Brain Injury Attorneys

Fetal (in utero) and neonatal (within the first four weeks/month after birth) brain injuries are some of the most devastating and long lasting injuries due to the potential long term consequences they have on the child.  Many fetal and neonatal brain injuries are avoidable and occur only because of the negligence of a health care provider.

Types of Negligence Leading to Fetal and Neonatal Brain Injuries

Generally speaking, any violation of the standard of care by a health care provider that causes a fetal or neonatal brain injury will entitle you to compensation in a sufficient amount to take care of the damages suffered by your child.  More specifically speaking, there are a number of different ways that fetal brain injuries occur, including.

  • Hypoxia/Anoxia – hypoxia is when the fetus’s brain was deprived of sufficient amounts of oxygen.  Anoxia is extreme hypoxia, a complete deprivation of oxygen.  Either hypoxia or anoxia can lead to fetal brain damage.  Sometimes this can occur if the cord is wrapped around the baby’s neck in the womb or during delivery.
  • Infections – if your doctor misdiagnosed or failed to diagnose an infection that caused cerebral palsy or encephalopathy you have the right to pursue compensation through a medical malpractice claim.
  • Blood incompatibility, such as ABO and Rh blood type incompatibility – Blood incompatibility occurs when the mother’s blood type is different from the fetus’s blood type. Certain combinations of differing blood types can cause mild problems such as jaundice in the baby to significant problems such as cerebral palsy.  Many times blood incompatibility is treatable.  If a physician fails to properly treat blood incompatibility and cerebral palsy results, you may be entitled to compensation.
  • Post-delivery bleeding – if the baby was involved in a long labor and difficult birth he may be susceptible to bleeding in the brain.  The attending physicians should test the baby for any such problems and if they fail to do so this can cause brain injury.
  • Medication/anesthesia complications – improper amounts or types of medications and anesthesia can also cause fetal and neonatal brain injuries.
  • Mishandling the newborn – although rare, newborns have been dropped in the delivery room causing severe brain damage.

Competent and Aggressive Fetal Brain Injury Attorneys

The medical malpractice attorneys and personal injury lawyers at Salcido Law Firm PLLC are experienced litigators who are well-versed in complex litigation such as medical malpractice actions involving fetal and neonatal brain injuries.  Call us at 801.413.1753 or 888.337.3235 for a free consultation or email us and we’ll get back to you right away.  We’re pitbulls and we’re on your side, so  Get Protected! today.