Iatrogenic injuries are those caused directly by medical care and are often preventable as long as staff follow standardized care guidelines. When dealing with newborns, a short delay or a minor dosing error can cause life-changing injuries. Because a baby’s brain is extremely vulnerable in the days after birth, they are very sensitive to the effects of drugs, oxygen level changes, and other stresses.
Failure to Diagnose Stroke or Aneurysm — Symptoms of stroke typically present in a newborn within days of birth. Seizures, apnea, poor appetite, and poor muscle tone are signs of a perinatal or neonatal stroke. Although rare, brain aneurysms in newborns carry severe possible outcomes. If left untreated, the condition can worsen and become very dangerous.
Medical mistakes may include: failure to recognize stroke or aneurysm as an emergency; delaying the order of neuroimaging or misreading the results; failing to escalate care or consult pediatric neurology.
Medication-Induced Brain Injury — Newborns are extremely vulnerable to medication errors for several reasons. Because medication doses are based on weight, the baby’s organs are still developing, and NICU babies often receive multiple medications, there is a serious risk involved in administering medications to newborns.
Medication errors may cause oxygen deprivation, seizures, low blood pressure, decreased responsiveness, and long-term brain damage.
That’s why it’s so important that medical staff administer the correct dose and the correct medication to newborns. When giving a newborn sedating drugs, opioids, or anticonvulsants, staff must properly monitor the baby for adverse drug reactions.
Post-Surgical Brain Injury — Following brain surgery, newborns are vulnerable to low oxygen and low blood pressure issues. They may also experience blood clots or other issues that can have long-term effects on the baby. It’s critical that medical staff monitor the baby before, during, and after surgery for any signs that the baby is struggling.
Symptoms of post-surgical brain injuries include: seizures; apnea; poor appetite; poor muscle tone; developmental delays; and weakness on one side.
Medical staff can make the situation worse by failing to properly monitor oxygenation/ventilation and blood pressure; failing to recognize neurologic changes in recovery/NICU; failing to use proper neuromonitoring (EEG); and making medication errors during anesthesia or in pain control after the surgery.
There is no excuse for medical staff making a mistake that causes short-term or long-term damage to your newborn. If your newborn suffered seizures, apnea, unexplained tiredness, or neurologic decline, and you were told they were “normal” conditions, you need to speak with Weisser Law today.
While medical staff may not have made a mistake, we will review your records, medication logs, and other hospital documents to determine if the injury was preventable and caused by medical malpractice.
Serious injuries demand serious representation. With over 50 years of experience in courtrooms across Florida, the team at Weisser Law has the reputation and record you need to secure every dollar of compensation you deserve. Weisser Law, where exceptional experience means exceptional results.