Failure to Monitor Oxygen Intake

Giving birth is a process that puts immense stress on the body. As such, medical professionals must be extremely cautious during the labor and delivery process. Prior to, during, and following childbirth, it is critical that the newborn receive adequate oxygen circulation. If you believe your baby has suffered a birth injury due to an error such as a medical professional’s failure to monitor oxygen intake, one of our Baltimore birth injury attorneys can review the facts of your case. We are dedicated to protecting the rights of birth injury victims and their families.

When a fetus does not receive enough oxygen during labor and delivery, the baby is at danger for brain injury and, in the most serious cases, death. Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy takes place when the baby’s brain fails to get a sufficient amount of oxygen. It can lead to serious health problems including developmental issues, learning disabilities, varying degrees of blindness, and/or epilepsy. Lack of oxygen to the infant’s brain can also result in the child having cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder characterized by poor muscle coordination and movement.

Birth injuries during delivery or labor can result from decreased blood flow or oxygen to the baby, which can be caused by a variety of issues, including negligence on the part of the medical professional handling the birth. Oxygen deprivation can be the result of trauma from incorrectly used instruments, early separation of the placenta, umbilical cord issues, and/or from positional problems that are not addressed or are mismanaged.

Medical professionals are taught to monitor oxygen levels to identify signs of fetal distress, and to take speedy action to reduce the potential adverse effects of oxygen deprivation when distress does take place. An obstetrician and the medical team involved in labor and delivery can generally detect signs of fetal distress by using a fetal monitor to observe changes in the newborn’s heart rate. When distress is detected, the medical professional must act urgently.

When a medical professional causes a reduction in or fails to monitor oxygen intake and the result is a birth injury, the medical professional can be held accountable through a medical malpractice lawsuit, and a dedicated birth injury lawyer can help. In Maryland, medical malpractice happens when a medical professional’s conduct deviates from the generally accepted standard of care, leading to patient injury. The standard of care refers to the accepted set of practices that other competent medical professionals in the same field would use when treating a comparable patient under comparable circumstances. In the context of a birth injury arising from oxygen deprivation, the relevant question would be: did the medical professional monitor oxygen levels during labor and delivery in the way that a competent medical professional would have in the same situation? If the answer is no, the next question would be: was the medical professional’s deviation from the standard of care a direct cause of the oxygen deprivation related birth injury? If the answer is yes, the medical professional would likely be held liable.

If your child suffered an injury due to medical malpractice while you were in labor or delivery, you may be entitled to receive compensation for the economic and non-economic losses that you and your family have incurred because of the injury. In Maryland, a victim of medical malpractice can typically recover medical expenses, future medical costs, lost wages, as well as pain and suffering.

Unfortunately, many birth injuries result from things that happen during labor and delivery. If you believe that your child suffered oxygen deprivation at birth due to a medical professional’s mistake, we may be able to help. At Arfaa Law Group, our hard-working and experienced Baltimore lawyers can meticulously examine the facts of your case and help you pursue the compensation you deserve. To speak to us in more detail, please feel free to call us today at 410-889-1850 or contact us online.