Problems with a newborn’s liver can set in motion a series of problems that impact the baby for their lifetime. Liver issues spotted during or soon after birth require immediate attention and a comprehensive treatment plan.
While these types of issues are usually preventable, how medical staff prepare for and react to signs of liver problems can make all the difference in the severity of your newborn’s injuries.
Common live injuries suffered by newborns include:
Biliary Atresia — When a baby’s bile ducts become blocked or scarred, it causes biliary atresia. This condition prevents bile from draining, which can damage the liver and possibly cause cirrhosis.
Choledochal Cyst — An abnormality of the bile ducts, a choledochal cyst can block bile flow. That blockage can lead to liver inflammation or infection. Surgery can usually correct the issue, but it may cause infections, pancreatitis, and liver damage.
Cholestatic jaundice — Although it’s a very rare type of jaundice, cholestatic jaundice requires
immediate, attentive care. The condition occurs when bile cannot flow properly from the liver, leading to a buildup of bilirubin.
Neonatal Cholestasis — A blanket term that can describe liver issues, neonatal cholestasis describes a newborn or infant experiencing problems with bile flow. It is considered a medical emergency until medical staff can determine exactly what is causing the symptoms.
There are several symptoms of liver/biliary issues in newborns that are related to jaundice. However, it becomes a serious concern when jaundice doesn’t improve, and is combined with these bile-flow symptoms:
- Dark urine
- Swollen belly, enlarged liver/spleen
- Pale, gray, or “clay-colored” stools
- Poor feeding, slow weight gain
- Easy to bruise or bleed
These symptoms can be caused by infections, bile duct blockages, genetic or metabolic disorders, and medication/IV nutrition–related cholestasis.
Medical staff may make the situation worse when they fail to take ongoing jaundice seriously, fail to order direct (conjugated) bilirubin testing, ignore signs reported by parents, delay diagnosis or treatment of infections, or misread imaging/lab results.
Because liver problems aren’t usually preventable, it’s extra important that medical staff are ready to identify and treat newborns showing signs of issues with their liver. Permanent scarring, malnutrition, and complications from infections are all possible when staff are unprepared to treat liver problems.
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.