The birth of a child should be a memorable and joyous occasion. Expectant parents typically have such high hopes for the kind of person their baby will grow up to be. If all goes as planned during the delivery, that infant should be off to a good start.
Unfortunately, sometimes complications arise during the birthing process. In such cases, it is incumbent upon the doctor and staff who are performing the delivery to act quickly in an effort to protect the baby and mother from harm.
One possible form of birth injury that medical professionals must guard against is known as hypoxia. Hypoxia is a condition that may result if a baby’s brain does not receive sufficient oxygen prior to, during, or following the birth.
While babies will generally recover from mild bouts of hypoxia, more severe incidents can result in permanent brain damage. Extreme cases of hypoxia can cause a newborn to develop cognitive deficiencies or serious conditions such as cerebral palsy.
Given hypoxia’s potential for causing harm, it is very important that the medical professionals who are caring for the mother and the child identify and treat its symptoms as quickly as possible. The initial step in responding to hypoxia is getting the correct level of oxygen to the infant’s brain.
Fortunately, medical technologies now exist that can inform doctors when infants are not receiving enough oxygen. Therefore, should a baby ever suffer from an extreme case of hypoxia, it could very possibly be due to negligence.
A birth injury caused by hypoxia could leave a child with long-term disabilities. Such disabilities can place a great financial and emotional burden on the child’s parents.
If you believe your child suffered a brain injury due to the negligent actions of a doctor or other medical professional, you may wish to contact a Pennsylvania medical malpractice attorney. The attorney may be able to help you get compensation to offset the economic hardships created by the injury.