Birth Injury Brain Damage Law Blog

In August 2008, a woman visited the hospital because of pregnancy complications. An obstetrician performed an ultrasound and - much to the mother's horror - concluded the baby was dead. About an hour later, a different hospital staff member conducted a follow-up ultrasound and discovered that the infant had a heartbeat.

The hospital staff conducted an emergency cesarean section, but the infant had already suffered brain damage from hypoxia. Cerebral hypoxia - or a lack of oxygen to the brain - caused the baby boy to suffer cerebral palsy. According to the mother's lawsuit against the hospital, the misread ultrasound caused the child to be unnecessarily deprived of oxygen for 81 minutes.

Infants suffer birth injuries far too often, even in places like Ohio - where mothers and babies enjoy an overall standard of health care above most of the world.

In Ohio, preventable birth injuries often result from a doctor's failure to monitor the fetus or promptly take action when a serious condition is discovered. In impoverished countries, physicians often lack the tools and technology to make accurate diagnoses or properly treat patients. Fortunately, a new medical study suggests that an inexpensive device may be able to prevent prematurely-born infants from suffering conditions such as cerebral palsy, blindness, retardation and lung problems.

In June 2008, a young couple arrived at a birthing center ready for the delivery of their baby. Birthing complications arose that necessitated swift and competent action to preserve the health of the infant. Unbelievably, the two midwives overseeing the delivery were not only ill-equipped to handle the complications; they actually obstructed paramedics from attempting to save the life of the infant, who was suffering from cerebral hypoxia.

Midwives Jerusha Goodwin and Coleen Goodwin recently settled a lawsuit against them for the wrongful death of the child. While the agreed-upon sum was $5 million, the couple who lost their infant will recover a far smaller amount; The Goodwins did not carry medical malpractice insurance and are expected to declare bankruptcy.

Scientists may have discovered a drug that can effectively treat infants for cerebral palsy after birth. The exciting news stems from lab tests on rabbits suffering from a condition similar to cerebral palsy. A group of newborn rabbits responded positively to the drug, showing a level of motor ability that was close to normal.

Dr. Sujatha Kannan, the study's lead researcher, said, "There appears to be a window of opportunity for treatment, even after birth."