Unfortunately, newborns do not handle problems with fluids, salt balance, and blood sugar well. When things go wrong, babies can get very sick, very fast. Among the most serious concerns are issues with severe dehydration and dangerously low blood sugar, both of which can cause permanent injury or even death.
Hypernatremic Dehydration of the Newborn
A baby can become dehydrated when its sodium levels get too high. This can be caused by the baby not taking in enough breastmilk or formula. It can also be caused by losing too much fluid.
Common symptoms of hypernatremic dehydration include: poor feeding habits (such as a weak latch or suck, refusal to feed, or short feeding times); too few wet diapers; sleepiness; high-pitched cry or irritability; seizures; dry mouth/lips.
Those symptoms can be caused by breastfeeding difficulties, an inadequate feeding plan after discharge, too much weight loss, and vomiting/diarrhea.
Problems can be made worse by medical staff who discharge the baby without a proper feeding assessment or feeding plan. Staff may also ignore or miss signs of extreme weight loss or poor feeding. Delaying lab work when dehydration is suspected can also lead to serious injuries.
Injuries caused by hypernatremic dehydration can have life-altering consequences. Along with seizures, babies may experience bleeding in or around the brain, kidney injury, brain swelling, shock, organ failure, and death.
Hypoglycemic encephalopathy
Symptoms of hypoglycemic encephalopathy may not present right away, but when the baby has low blood glucose, a major injury can occur. Those injuries may involve brain dysfunction, which can lead to developmental issues and other lifelong complications.
Symptoms of hypoglycemic encephalopathy include tremors, poor feeding, weak suck, abnormal breathing, and seizures. Those problems can be caused by being premature, the mother having diabetes, the baby being too small or too large for its gestational age (SGA/LGA), feeding delays, and infection/sepsis.
Medical staff may make the situation worse by failing to screen babies who are at risk for SGA/LGA, delayed response to the early symptoms, poor communication, and failing to re-check glucose and stabilize levels promptly when lower readings are found.
Although injuries aren’t typically life-threatening, hypoglycemic encephalopathy can cause developmental delays that last a lifetime. Victims may also suffer visual impairments, seizures, and epilepsy.
If your newborn suffered injuries related to hypernatremic dehydration or hypoglycemic encephalopathy, contact Weisser Law today. Our dedicated team will thoroughly review your records and determine whether medical staff caused or worsened the situation.
When your health and future are at risk, experience matters. Weisser Law fights relentlessly to restore our clients’ dignity while securing their future. Contact our expert legal team today so you can focus on recovery, and we’ll focus on accountability.