If your baby has cystic fibrosis, they will enjoy a better quality of life the earlier the condition receives diagnosis and treatment. Early diagnosis and treatment can even promote a longer life.
If your baby was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, and you feel that a doctor’s diagnosis, failure to diagnose, and/or failure to treat led to a complication of the infection, we can review your case and determine whether you have a claim for birth injury medical malpractice. Call the Birth Injury Lawyers Group today at 1-800-222-9529.
Cystic Fibrosis Lawsuits & Injury Cases
Although cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder, it can also represent a birth injury in certain situations.
If your infant suffers from cystic fibrosis complications due to your physician’s failure to diagnose and/or treat the infection, you may be entitled to receive compensation. The ability to hold your doctor, lab, or other healthcare providers involved in your pregnancy and delivery liable for medical malpractice hinges on your ability to establish the following:
- Your doctor had a duty to uphold the standard of care – In other words, establish what level of skill and care that a provider with similar training would have demonstrated in a similar situation.
- Breach – Your medical provider failed to uphold the medical standard of care.
- Causation and Injury – The medical provider’s breach caused measurable injury to your baby.
Your lawyer will want to produce medical records that support your claim, as well as opinions from other medical professionals who work in the same profession and with the same specialty and experience as the doctor you are suing. These witnesses will confirm the standard of care and that your doctor breached it.
If your case is successful, you may be entitled to any of the following types of damages:
- Doctor’s fees and medical care (past, present, future, and ongoing)
- Surgeon’s fees (past, present, future)
- Physical therapy
- Specialized equipment
- Other specialized equipment
- Emotional distress
- Counseling
- Pain and suffering
- Income lost due to caring for the disabled child
If your child succumbs to death as a result of their cystic fibrosis, you may be entitled to pursue a wrongful death action. Your attorney can guide you through this process.
Infant Cystic Fibrosis Overview
Infants inherit cystic fibrosis from one or both parents. The disorder has an impact on the body’s cells that are associated with the production of sweat, mucus, and digestive juices.
It can lead to a wide range of complications, including:
- Chronic infections
- Respiratory failure
- Bronchiectasis (damaged airways)
- Nasal polyps (growths in the nose)
- Diabetes
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Blocked bile duct
- Dehydration and electrolyte imbalances
Infant Cystic Fibrosis Causes
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder. The condition consists of a mutated transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) genes, which regulate the CFTR protein. This protein produces mucus.
Your baby inherited two CFTR genes, one from each parent. If they inherit two mutated CFTR genes, they will have cystic fibrosis.
Infant Cystic Fibrosis Symptoms
Your infant might have cystic fibrosis if they exhibit the following signs and symptoms:
- Salty skin
- Constipation, bloating, or stomach pain
- Wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, excess mucus
- Meconium stuck in newborn’s intestine
- Sluggish growth and weight gain
- Frequent, loose, large, or greasy bowel movements that smell bad
- Nasal polyps, sinus infections, stuffy nose
Infant Weight Gain Problems
Infant weight gain is a positive sign that your baby is thriving. Some babies gain weight slowly and are perfectly healthy. However, it is possible that an infant who has trouble gaining weight—also known as failure to thrive—might be caused by a preventable injury during pregnancy, labor, or delivery.
Why some infants have weight gain problems
Slow weight gain may be due to your baby’s individual growth rate or the sign of a severe problem. Symptoms of infant weight gain problems include:
- Failure to regain birth weight within two weeks after birth
- Baby does not gain an ounce each day until age three months
- Experiences a dramatic decrease in growth or weight
Medical factors that contribute to infant weight gain problems may include:
- Premature birth, low birth weight, or complications during pregnancy
- Developmental delays or swallowing difficulties due to brain or central nervous system damage, typically from insufficient oxygen
- Anemia or another blood disorder
Some of these factors may be due to a preventable birth injury.
Infant Inflamed Nasal Passages
While usually harmless, inflamed nasal passages should be brought to the attention of your child’s provider upon discovery, to be sure it is not a symptom of any serious medical condition.
How Inflamed Nasal Passages Could Be Dangerous to My Infant
Inflamed nasal passages, or sinusitis, will typically heal naturally and is not considered a severe condition. But there could be underlying causes of your infant’s inflamed nasal passages, especially when observed along with any of the following symptoms:
- Bulky, greasy stool
- Vomiting blood
- Swollen belly
- Jaundice
- Nasal polyps
- Skin that tastes like salt
- Tumors
- Other breathing problems
Any combination of these symptoms could indicate cystic fibrosis (CF). A genetic, life-threatening disorder that is undetectable in parents, CF affects how the body’s organs absorb sodium and water.
Infant Foul Smelling Or Greasy Stool
While foul-smelling or greasy stool alone does not necessarily mean a serious condition exists, it is a symptom that could be indicative of malnutrition due to a more complex disorder. A birth injury lawyer for foul-smelling or greasy infant stool can help you pursue justice if these symptoms are due to medical malpractice or a birth injury.
Causes of Foul-smelling or Greasy Stools
If your infant’s’ stool is especially foul-smelling or greasy, it could indicate malabsorption, which means that the body is not properly absorbing the nutrients in food. In some cases, this symptom can be treated with a change in diet. However, there are more serious illnesses and medical conditions that could be possible. Some possible causes are:
- Cystic Fibrosis: A condition that damages the lungs, digestive system and other organs
- Cerebral Palsy: though this symptom alone does not indicate cerebral palsy (CP), it could be one of many symptoms
- Lactose Intolerance: this occurs when the body cannot process lactose in milk
- Chronic Pancreatitis: A symptom associated with cystic fibrosis
Infant Cystic Fibrosis Diagnosis and Treatment
Before your infant leaves the hospital after birth, they will be tested for cystic fibrosis. These tests will include hearing, blood, and heart screenings that will reveal both serious and treatable conditions.
When a screening results come back abnormal, a diagnostic test (sweat test and blood test) will probe for cystic fibrosis.
If your baby is diagnosed with the condition, treatment must begin immediately.
Infant Cystic Fibrosis Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my baby has Infant Cystic Fibrosis?
Watch for the signs listed above. If you see the signs and symptoms indicated, take your baby to a doctor for a cystic fibrosis screening. You need to take your baby to the doctor immediately if you see that they are struggling to breathe.
Can Infant Cystic Fibrosis be fatal?
Yes, infant cystic fibrosis can be fatal. Be sure that your doctor screens for the disorder and treats early to avoid this and other serious outcomes and complications.
Who is liable for Infant Cystic Fibrosis?
Although cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder, it can also represent a birth injury in certain situations with clear, potential liability. For example:
- If your doctor(s) failed to conduct screenings of your baby for cystic fibrosis and therefore did not treat the condition.
- The pregnancy results from either or both parents being a sperm, egg, or embryo recipient, without the sperm, egg, or embryo having been screened for cystic fibrosis. The donor service might be liable.
- A mistake was made in the genetic testing conducted prior to the pregnancy. The testing lab facility might be liable.
What is the statute of limitations for Infant Cystic Fibrosis?
Statutes of limitations vary from state to state. Your lawyer will know the time limits in the state in which you reside.
Your lawyer can also inform you of your state’s statutes of repose, which can bar your case, regardless of whether your baby has shown any signs of injury. States also usually account for minors with a tolling allowance, which extends the statutes of limitations for people younger than the age of 18.
Infant Cystic Fibrosis Glossary Terms
- Pneumothorax – A collapsed lung resulting from air leaking into the area between a lung and the chest wall. The air presses against the lung causing it to collapse.
- Nasal Polyps – Soft, benign growths on the lining of nasal passages or sinuses. Although painless, they can be a sign of cystic fibrosis.
- Cor Pulmonale – Enlargement of the heart’s right ventricle, forcing the heart to pump harder to push blood through blocked pulmonary arteries
A birth injury lawyer can look over the medical records for you and your baby and advise you of your potential to recover compensation for a birth injury.
We will fight for justice on your behalf, leaving you better able to live full meaningful lives free from the financial concerns of medical bills associated with your child’s cystic fibrosis. Call us at 1-800-222-9529 for a free consultation.
Infant Intestinal Blockage Or Severe Constipation Lawyer
Constipation can result from not drinking enough water or consuming enough fiber. When accompanied with other symptoms, though, it could be a sign of a much more severe medical condition: cystic fibrosis.
Symptoms of Cystic Fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis (CF) damages the lungs, digestive system, and other organs. Though this condition requires daily care, people with this disorder can attend school and work, and improvements in treatments are allowing people to live into their 50s.
Some of the common symptoms of CF include:
- Salty-tasting skin
- Long-term respiratory symptoms like coughing and wheezing, and possibly coughing up bloody material
- Lung infections
- Poor weight gain or growth
- Constipation
- Bulky or greasy stools
Some children may also develop:
- Sinus infections
- Growth out of the mucous membranes of the nose
- Clubbing of fingers and does
If your infant has suffered because of your doctor’s failure to diagnose them with CF, you may be entitled to compensation to recover damages associated with their negligence. Contact the Birth Injury Lawyers Group at (800) 222-9529 to be connected with a lawyer in your state right away for a free, no-risk consultation.
How the Statute of Limitations Could Impact Your Claim
Every state has its own statute of limitations for personal injury lawsuits like medical malpractice claims. These laws limit the amount of time you have to pursue compensation for damages. In addition to setting its own limits, though, each state also has its own rules that allow you to toll—or pause—the statute of limitations for birth injury cases.
It is best to speak with a lawyer who can familiarize you with the laws specific to your state.
How a Birth Injury Lawyer Can Help
If your infant has been suffering from painful intestinal blockage or severe constipation because of an undiagnosed condition like CF when your doctor should have recognized the symptoms, you are entitled to pursue damages related to your claim. A few of the damages you may be entitled to include:
- Medical expenses, including doctor’s visits, hospital stays, medication, and treatments
- Emotional distress
- Pain and suffering
A birth injury lawyer can help you:
- Investigate and gather evidence supporting a claim of medical malpractice
- Find medical professionals who can testify to the negligence in your case
- Negotiate with insurance companies to pursue compensation to the fullest extent of your damages
- Calculate the cost of nonquantifiable damages like pain and suffering and emotional distress
- Fight for your rights and the rights of your infant in a trial if an agreeable settlement cannot be reached out of court
For a free consultation or to have a dedicated lawyer start working on your case right away, contact the Birth Injury Lawyers Group at (800) 222-9529. We will connect you with a lawyer in your state who will help to build your case. Contact us today to get started.