How you diagnose oxygen deprivation depends on the symptoms of the baby and the severity of asphyxia. In mild oxygen deprivation cases, when the baby loses full oxygenation for a few seconds, a firm diagnosis may not be possible, and they may not suffer any effects. In moderate or severe cases, a doctor may be able to detect indicators through monitoring.
When there are symptoms of a problem during labor or delivery, such as the baby’s heart rate becoming irregular or dropping too low, doctors can order additional testing or close monitoring to rule out oxygen deprivation or other serious complications. Breathing issues and low APGAR scores may also require a stay in the newborn intensive care unit (NICU) for further observation.
Continue reading to find out more if you have concerns that your baby may have been without oxygen during delivery and want to know what legal options are possible in cases of birth injuries involving newborns who may have suffered oxygen deprivation.
- Settlement Value of Birth Asphyxia
- Medical Testing to Prove Signs of Deprivation of Oxygen at Birth
- How Accurate Are Apgar Tests to Detect Oxygen Deprivation In Infants?
- Alternative Ways to Test an Infant for Oxygen Deprivation
- Pursuing Damages Based on Your Child’s Birth Injuries
- Contact Us if Your Baby Was Diagnosed with Oxygen Deprivation and Suffered Injuries
Settlement Value of Birth Asphyxia
After a diagnosis or misdiagnosis of birth asphyxia, you have the right to bring a birth injury lawsuit against those responsible. In some instances, your child may need ongoing medical treatment, physical therapy, and other types of support for the rest of their life. A birth injury attorney can help you seek justice and recoup a settlement that alleviates financial hardship.
The costs of continued therapy and treatment, in-home care, specially designed equipment, and transportation to medical visits may all be covered by the birth injury settlement claim. Lost wages and intangible expenses for the suffering of your family may also be included in financial compensation claims for birth injuries.
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Medical Testing to Prove Signs of Deprivation of Oxygen at Birth
APGAR assessments, conducted at one minute and five minutes following birth, allow the care team to understand the baby’s overall health, including how they handled the delivery and how they adapt to the outside world. These assessments look at how the baby is doing in five categories, including:
- Coloring
- Respiration
- Activity
- Reflexes
- Pulse rate
Most healthy newborns score between a seven and a ten on these assessments, with a ten being the optimal score. A score of six or below may be an indication that your baby experienced oxygen deprivation, as well as blue or grayish skin tone, a weak or irregular pulse, weak movement and reflexes, and respiratory difficulties.
How Accurate Are Apgar Tests to Detect Oxygen Deprivation In Infants?
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Pediatrics agree that APGAR tests, while accurate, do not paint a full picture of an infant’s health. These organizations recommend using expanded testing that considers more factors and encourages additional observation to identify “evidence of or a consequence of asphyxia.”
APGAR expanded testing includes:
- Blood tests to check blood gas levels, identify reperfusion injuries, and more
- Medical imaging, often magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to look for brain damage
- Echocardiogram and/or electrocardiogram (ECG) to identify damaged areas of the heart
- Electroencephalogram (EEG) to diagnose suspected seizures
By performing additional tests and diagnosing related conditions, often epilepsy or organ dysfunction, it becomes easier to verify what happened and whether your child experienced oxygen deprivation or another serious delivery complication.
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Alternative Ways to Test an Infant for Oxygen Deprivation
There are alternative ways to identify birth asphyxia. Babies who exhibit signs of possible oxygen deprivation may go to the NICU for observation and additional testing. They may also receive various treatments, like therapeutic hypothermia, to reduce their brain damage during this time. After treatment and close observation, there may be indicators that confirm asphyxia.
In some cases, a baby may never receive a definitive diagnosis of oxygen deprivation. Still, they could have related conditions such as low vision, hearing loss, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, developmental delays, learning disabilities, and more. Continue reading to learn how you can file a lawsuit against the hospital for your child’s medical condition.
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Pursuing Damages Based on Your Child’s Birth Injuries
While having an oxygen deprivation diagnosis and knowing what led to your child’s complications and medical conditions can help, it may not be necessary to pursue a legal case. If your child received a related condition diagnosis, a birth injury attorney can build a case based on that. This could include:
- Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE)
- Cerebral palsy
- Epilepsy
- Developmental disabilities
- Learning delays
- Behavioral concerns
- Mental health concerns
- Low vision or hearing loss
- Intellectual disabilities
Most medical malpractice law firms represent families of birth injury victims based on contingency. Your family will not need to pay fees upfront if your attorney believes your child’s injuries occurred because of medical negligence. They will enlist the help of medical experts and fight vigorously to seek compensation to pay for your child’s treatment and care.
Contact Us if Your Baby Was Diagnosed with Oxygen Deprivation and Suffered Injuries
You can receive help for your child and family today by contacting the Birth Injury Lawyers Group. If the doctors failed to diagnose or misdiagnosed birth asphyxia in your child, our birth injury litigators may still be able to pursue legal action within the statute of limitations.
Our lawyers understand that how oxygen deprivation is diagnosed is not always immediate, but medical specialists still owe a proper duty of care. Contact us today for a free case evaluation, and we will discuss your child’s birth injuries with you.
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