Neonatal Resuscitation Errors

Parents often view a newborn infant’s cries as a sign that the child is healthy and thriving. Sadly, some parents are denied the chance to hear such sounds because their children are not breathing at birth. Medical professionals who assist in the delivery of babies are typically trained in breathing intervention methods, but if they make mistakes while attempting to help an infant breathe, they may cause irreparable losses. If your child suffered harm due to neonatal resuscitation errors, you might be owed compensation, and you should contact an attorney as soon as possible. The skilled Baltimore birth injury lawyers of Arfaa Law Group take pride in helping families shattered by preventable birth injuries in the pursuit of justice, and if you hire us, we will work tirelessly to help you seek a favorable result.

Typically, infants are born with the ability to breathe outside of the womb without assistance. Some babies struggle to breathe or cannot breathe at birth, however. Depending on the severity of their issues, they may need some degree of intervention or resuscitative measures. Numerous factors can increase the risk of an infant needing resuscitation, like preterm or post-term delivery, the birth of multiples, and placenta previa. If a doctor fails to take heed of these factors and neglects to have the tools in place to help the child breathe, it can cause delays in intubating or resuscitating a child leading to significant injuries. Mistakes made during the resuscitation process can also result in the baby being deprived of oxygen and a diminished blood flow, which can lead to brain injuries and damage to the heart. Infants may also suffer harm due to over-ventilation, improper placement of intubation tubes, and overly aggressive chest compressions.

Children harmed by neonatal resuscitation errors frequently require lifelong care and experience a diminished quality of life. As such, their parents will often seek to hold the parties responsible for their harm accountable via medical negligence claims in civil lawsuits.

Under Maryland law, a plaintiff alleging that the defendant health care provider should be held accountable for negligence must first show that the defendant had an obligation to treat the plaintiff in accordance with the standard of care. The standard that applies is the care that a competent professional working in the same specialty as the defendant would offer when confronted with a similar situation. As most judges and people who would sit on a jury have no independent knowledge regarding the duties imposed on a doctor, nurse, or other healthcare provider, the plaintiff will usually have to retain an expert to explain the standard of care.

The plaintiff then must prove that the defendant’s actions or failure to act demonstrate a breach of the standard. Lastly, the plaintiff must link the harm suffered to the defendant’s breach. In other words, the plaintiff has to prove that the defendant’s behavior directly contributed to the child’s birth injury and that the birth injury would not have occurred absent the breach of the standard of care. The plaintiff will usually need expert testimony to establish the breach and connect the breach with the child’s harm. If the judge or jury deems the defendant liable, both the injured infant and their parents may be awarded damages, such as compensation for the cost of medical care and other economic losses, and the pain and suffering endured due to the defendant’s negligence.

Neonatal resuscitation errors can cause devastating injuries, and in most instances, they are the result of negligence. If your child suffered harm due to a health care provider’s mistakes, you have the right to seek compensation, and it is in your best interest to speak to an attorney. The experienced Baltimore lawyers of Arfaa Law Group can advise you of your potential claims and help you to pursue the full extent of damages recoverable under the law. We have an office in Baltimore where we frequently represent parties in birth injury matters. You can reach us by calling 410-889-1850 or by using our online form to set up a conference.