Is Hemorrhagic Disease of the Newborn Life-Threatening?

Hemorrhagic disease of the newborn is a preventable birth injury that can be life-threatening if not treated within one hour after birth. According to the National Library of Medicine, hemorrhagic disease of the newborn is associated with a high mortality rate caused by excessive or uncontrollable bleeding. By administering 1 mg IM of vitamin K immediately after birth, doctors can reverse the tragic or fatal symptoms this rare bleeding disorder can cause.

Vitamin K deficiencies are not uncommon in newborns. However, if doctors or medical professionals fail to detect or treat hemorrhagic disease of the newborn, they could be liable for subsequent damages and the long-term effects your child may face. Has your child suffered from a life-threatening birth injury after childbirth due to medical negligence?

If so, don’t wait to get the help your family needs. It is time to speak to a newborn hemorrhagic disease lawyer. Top-rated birth injury attorneys can help determine if you have a claim and, if so, how much compensation could be in your future. 

What Types of Compensation Could My Family Recover After My Child Is Diagnosed with Hemorrhagic Disease of the Newborn?

Hemorrhagic disease of the newborn is preventable, so if your child has received a diagnosis for this type of birth injury, medical negligence may have contributed to the cause of your child’s suffering. After a successful birth injury claim, parents of a newborn could potentially win two types of damages — economic and non-economic — depending on the circumstances surrounding how the birth injury occurred.

Solid evidence is crucial for birth injury claims. The burden of proof is on the plaintiff’s birth injury attorney to collect evidence displaying that hemorrhagic disease of the newborn has occurred as a result of medical negligence. Your lawyer for hemorrhagic disease of the newborn can tell you what type of evidence is important to increase your chances of winning a birth injury settlement to recover your losses.

After a successful birth injury claim, you could be entitled to the following economic and non-economic damages, including the following:

• Medical expenses
• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish
• Hospital bills
• Ambulance rides
• Depression or anxiety
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Past, current, and future medical treatments 

A Hemorrhagic Disease of the Newborn Overview

Hemorrhagic disease of newborns, or vitamin K deficiency bleeding, is a bleeding disorder that occurs after birth due to a vitamin K deficiency. Vitamin K plays a crucial role in blood clotting; however, it is not always sufficiently passed from mother to baby in the womb. Because newborns often have a low amount of vitamin K in their bodies after birth, they are more likely to be affected by hemorrhagic disease of the newborn if doctors do not take action.

According to Healthline, to avoid hemorrhagic disease of the newborn, many doctors take preemptive measures after childbirth and give newborns a shot of phytonadione, or vitamin K. However, if your doctor failed to do so or overlooked your child’s worsening condition after birth, vitamin K deficiency bleeding can happen anytime according to the timeline of symptoms:

• Early onset of hemorrhagic disease of the newborn can happen as soon as 24 hours after birth. The sooner your child develops symptoms, the more severe vitamin K deficiency bleeding is likely to be.
• Classic onset hemorrhagic disease of the newborn can happen between two to seven days after birth. Newborns who develop classic onset vitamin K deficiency bleeding may show noticeable bruising or bleeding from the umbilical cord.
• Late-onset hemorrhagic disease of the newborn can happen between two weeks and six months after birth. Late-onset vitamin K deficiency bleeding typically only occurs in breastfed babies who did not receive a vitamin K shot after birth. 

What Are the Symptoms of Hemorrhagic Disease of the Newborn?

When a new baby is born, we trust doctors to offer the highest quality of care to ensure our newborns are safe, healthy, and growing as they should. However, in some cases, doctors or other medical professionals fail to give your newborn the care they deserve, and the repercussions can be deadly. When this happens, medical negligence can cause life-threatening birth injuries like hemorrhagic disease of the newborn.

Parents of newborns can help keep their babies safe by watching for common symptoms of vitamin K deficiency after birth. The symptoms of hemorrhagic disease of the newborn include but are not limited to the following:

• Small bleeds, or “warning bleeds,” are tiny enough to seem insignificant but indicate your child may be experiencing the first signs of bleeding from vitamin K deficiency.
• Low birth weight for your baby’s age or size.
• A slow increase in birth weight, even if your baby is eating normally.

Where Can Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding Occur in Newborns?

Warning bleeds are one of the first signs of hemorrhagic disease of the newborn. It is essential to be aware of where the bleeds may occur on your newborn to ensure your child gets the proper medical treatment in time. Vitamin K deficiency bleeds can happen on the following spots on your newborn, including but not limited to:

• The belly button area near or around the umbilical cord stump.
• Around your baby’s nose or mouth.
• Your baby’s genitals
• Areas where your baby has received a shot
• Your baby’s gastrointestinal tract

Depending on where your child is bleeding, you may notice blood in their stool or urine. If you notice any of these signs, get medical attention immediately and contact a lawyer for hemorrhagic disease of the newborn. We can help determine if medical negligence has played a role in the cause of your child’s birth injury.

Hire a Lawyer for Hemorrhagic Disease of the Newborn

Your child’s birth should be a momentous occasion filled with newborn snuggles and the highest standard of care from your doctors. When doctors are tired, fail to detect medical issues, or overlook important steps after childbirth, mistakes can directly affect your newborn baby’s long-term health. Has this experience happened to you?

If so, we are sorry for what happened to your child. Our top-rated attorneys for hemorrhagic disease of the newborn are well-equipped to demonstrate how your doctor failed to care for you and your child and how your child still suffers now.

If your child has developed a birth injury after birth, you may be entitled to compensation. To learn if you could have a claim against your doctor, speak to a birth injury lawyer.