What are perinatal asphyxia signs and symptoms? Doctors look for several symptoms when diagnosing this condition, including abnormal heart rate, weak breathing, and weak muscle tone.
You can learn more about signs of perinatal asphyxia with a perinatal asphyxia lawyer. A lawyer can also discuss your legal options if a doctor made a mistake and caused your child’s asphyxia. Learn the signs and symptoms to find out if you may have a case.
What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Birth Asphyxia?
Perinatal asphyxia (also called birth asphyxia) has several symptoms. It’s essential for medical professionals to monitor newborns for these symptoms, as perinatal asphyxia results from decreased blood and oxygen flow to the brain.
Perinatal asphyxia can have long-term consequences for the health of your child. Doctors have a duty to begin treatment quickly if they notice symptoms:
Before Birth
Some babies show indicates of birth asphyxia before delivery. In addition, they may have an abnormal heart rate. Doctors may also notice low pH levels, showing that their acid levels are too high.
At Or After Birth
After your child’s birth, doctors continue monitoring their health. Signs of perinatal asphyxia at this point can include:
- Poor skin color
- Weak muscle tone
- Weak reflexes
- Weak breathing
- Low heart rate
- Meconium in the amniotic fluid
- Seizures
Children may also display acidosis or too much acid in the blood. Babies experiencing perinatal asphyxia often exhibit weakness when crying, and they may gasp. Some babies dealing with perinatal asphyxia do not cry at all.
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Apgar Scores And Perinatal Asphyxia
Doctors use several diagnostic tests to assess a baby’s condition after birth. The Apgar rating system represents one of these tools, according to the Seattle Children’s Hospital; this tool looks at your child’s appearance, pulse, grimace, activity, and respiration.
Infants receive a score from 0 to 10 immediately after birth and again a few minutes later. Low Apgar scores (ranging from 0 to 3) can indicate that your child experienced birth asphyxia.
What Causes Perinatal Asphyxia?
Now that we’ve reviewed the signs and symptoms of perinatal asphyxia, we can consider what causes a lack of oxygen in infants. Injuries or accidents during pregnancy or childbirth can result in perinatal asphyxia.
Doctors often diagnose infants with perinatal asphyxia after:
- An umbilical cord prolapse or compression of the umbilical cord
- A prolonged or difficult labor
- Premature births
- Placental separation or a uterine rupture
Some people are more likely to deliver a baby with perinatal asphyxia than others. For example, mothers carrying multiple babies or those who experience preeclampsia may have a higher risk of perinatal asphyxia. In these situations, doctors should monitor vital signs throughout pregnancy and delivery.
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How Do You Fix Perinatal Asphyxiation?
Perinatal asphyxia occurs when babies receive inadequate oxygen before, during, or after delivery. Therefore, it’s essential that doctors treat perinatal asphyxia as quickly as possible to mitigate the severity of this condition.
According to UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals, several treatments may help infants with perinatal asphyxia. Babies with mild perinatal asphyxia may receive breathing support until they begin to breathe more efficiently on their own.
More severe cases of perinatal asphyxia may require:
- Body cooling treatments
- Breathing support with a breathing tube or heart-lung pump
- Blood pressure medicine
- Medication to prevent seizures
- Dialysis for kidney support
In some cases, doctors can administer treatment before birth. They may provide extra oxygen for the mother during delivery. In other cases, they may need to order an emergency C-section to quickly deliver the baby, preventing damage from perinatal asphyxia in the womb.
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Do You Have Legal Options If Your Child Has Perinatal Asphyxia?
Sometimes, babies develop perinatal asphyxia despite medical professionals making all the correct choices during delivery. In this situation, you can seek medical care for your child, minimizing the effects of oxygen deprivation.
However, in some cases, medical professionals make serious mistakes before, during, or after delivery. For example, they may fail to order a necessary medical treatment or move too slowly to diagnose perinatal asphyxia after birth.
In this situation, you may be able to work with a birth injury lawyer to file a medical malpractice claim. This claim can help you secure compensation to cover your family’s losses.
What Compensation Can You Receive For Perinatal Asphyxia?
After learning the perinatal asphyxia signs and symptoms, you may wonder if your family qualifies to secure compensation. Generally, you may receive funds to cover your losses if a lawyer shows that a medical professional acted negligently.
In this situation, your family may receive funds to cover:
- Your child’s current and future medical costs
- The costs of any assistive devices required by your child
- Therapy for your child
- Your child’s pain and suffering
Additionally, you may receive compensation for any time you have to take off at work to care for your child. You can learn more about these forms of payment with a birth injury lawyer serving your area.
How Much Compensation Can You Get For Perinatal Asphyxia?
After receiving a perinatal asphyxia diagnosis, you may seek damages by settling with the medical professional or hospital. You may also decide to file a lawsuit based on your lawyer’s advice.
The exact amount of compensation available depends on your specific situation. You can discuss your losses with a legal team today.
Speak To A Lawyer About The Signs and Symptoms Of Birth Asphyxia
What are perinatal asphyxia signs and symptoms? Babies often have poor color, weak reflexes, and weak breathing when experiencing perinatal asphyxia. If your child experienced this condition due to a medical error, you might have a chance to move forward with a legal claim.
You can contact a birth injury lawyer for assistance. Call us or fill out our online contact form to learn more.
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