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Posted on Dec. 3 2014 in Personal Injury Cases
Lack of oxygen to the brain can cause all manner of problems, and it can be doubly agonizing when one second too long is the difference between a healthy child and a child with physical or mental difficulties. One of the worst types to deal with is referred to as periventricular leukomalacia (PVL). PVL causes brain damage by affecting the white matter, and can be debilitating. Medical Facts of PVL PVL almost exclusively affects fetuses and newborn babies, with premature babies being at even higher risk. The disease attacks the white matter in the brain – the part that transmits to the spinal cord – most commonly around fluid-filled areas called
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Posted on Dec. 1 2014 in Personal Injury Cases
Birth injuries, by nature, are difficult to process because they take so little to occur; one second too long or one half-inch in the wrong direction can cause significant damage to a mother or child. Nowhere is this more apparent than when dealing with nerve injuries, or palsies. Some are more common than others, and as such, are more often the subject of lawsuits. Brachial Plexus Injuries Brachial plexus injuries (BPIs) are a common birth malady, and a good-sized portion of birth injury and medical malpractice lawsuits result from their occurrence. The brachial plexus is a network of nerves stemming from the spine, and given their relatively exposed position around
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Posted on Nov. 25 2014 in Personal Injury Cases
Even with the best prenatal care and the best doctors and nurses overseeing a pregnancy, it is still possible to contract an infection before, during or after delivery. Infections are insidious, and can strike without warning. Sometimes, they happen because of one mistake. It is always a good idea to make sure you know what is normal in these situations and what is not, so that you can react accordingly. Chorioamnionitis The most common infection found in women who have just given birth is called chorioamnionitis or intra-amniotic infection (IAI). IAI happens most often from irregularities in the genital tract, and it affects the amniotic fluid and placenta, as well
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Posted on Nov. 24 2014 in Personal Injury Cases
When a child is born with a disease or condition, such as cerebral palsy, it can be difficult for parents. While a diagnosis of cerebral palsy will not change the love most parents have for their children, it is still entirely understandable to want answers, especially if the child’s injury might have been caused by someone’s negligence. Understanding the nature of what cerebral palsy is and its related symptoms may be a good first step to determining if it was caused by the negligence of a medical provider. Causes of Cerebral Palsy Cerebral palsy (CP) is a generic term for a set of nerve and muscle problems that occur in
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Posted on Nov. 20 2014 in Personal Injury Cases
When a child is being born via natural delivery, there are many ways that something could go wrong. One of the most difficult and frightening problems that a mother and baby can experience during labor is something called shoulder dystocia. While there is almost no way to predict it, it does happen with regularity in delivery rooms, and it can either wind up a minor inconvenience, or it can cause severe difficulties. Medical Facts about Shoulder Dystocia Injuries Shoulder dystocia occurs when a child’s shoulders become lodged or stuck at the entry to the birth canal during delivery. However, sometimes it is hard to pin down when shoulder dystocia is actually
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Posted on Nov. 18 2014 in Personal Injury Cases
The birth of a child is supposed to be one of the most wonderful moments in a family’s history. However, it can quickly turn into a nightmare if proper care is not exercised. If the unthinkable happens, and mother or baby loses their life, understanding the family’s rights can help the survivors obtain some measure of compensation for this horrible loss. Maternal Death During Childbirth Statistics The United States, despite its civilized status, has an alarmingly high death rate for mothers during childbirth. The rate is actually increasing, despite advances in science and neonatal care; according to the National Institute of Health, the rate in 1982 was 7.5 deaths per
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Posted on Nov. 17 2014 in Personal Injury Cases
The delivery of a child is one of the most medically complex acts a doctor learns how to perform. Every second can matter, and every movement must be critically assessed. When deliveries need to be sped up, that action has traditionally been performed with forceps, though as medicine evolves, vacuum extractions have become more common. Nonetheless, both methods can lead to problems. It is important to know your rights if things take a turn for the worse. If your infant was injured as a result of poor use of vacuums or forceps, contact the Louisville birth injury lawyers at Meinhart & Manning, PLLC. Vacuum & Forceps: Uses & Risks If
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Posted on Nov. 14 2014 in Personal Injury Cases
When a child is born, all a parent wants to do is get acquainted. However, there are formalities to deal with. At one minute and five minutes after birth, a test of sorts is given to the newborn to quickly assess his or her health and cognitive function. Named after the anesthesiologist who developed it, the Apgar score is thought to be an accurate way to tell whether a newborn needs immediate medical attention. It is done at every birth in the United States that occurs in the presence of a medical professional. What The Score Means Though the test was named after Virginia Apgar, the name is also used
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Posted on Sep. 17 2014 in Personal Injury Cases
If asked to list the most important elements for our bodies to function correctly, oxygen would likely be at the top. It fuels every process in our bodies to some degree. Consequently, lack of oxygen can cause significant and frightening injuries, even if only deprived for a very short time. It is important to know the signs and symptoms of hypoxia, or oxygen loss, so that immediate and long-term steps can be taken. If you or a loved one develops injuries from oxygen deprivation, you may be able to obtain compensation with the help of a Louisville hypoxia lawyer. Severe Oxygen Deprivation Causes and Symptoms Severe oxygen deprivation in babies
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Posted on Sep. 15 2014 in Personal Injury Cases
In late July, Iveth Yaneth Garcia-Menchaca took her two-month old baby, Issac, to Kosair Children’s Hospital after his father allegedly beat his head into the bathtub. Personnel did their best to save the child, but could not – he was declared brain dead and preparations were made to take him off his feeding tube. However, the mother filed suit against this, stating that only parents could make those medical decisions. A circuit court judge declined to sanction that idea, stating that no parental right survived. Ms. Garcia-Menchaca still did not recognize the ruling, saying she was ‘devastated.’ It brings up an interesting question – can a hospital be found liable
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