What are Neonatal Seizures and How Can they be Due to Medical Malpractice
While most babies are born healthy and without complications, sadly some babies encounter complications during their labor and delivery, or even prior to labor and delivery. Some complications may be minor, while other complications may be life-altering. There are times when complications occur as the result of unpreventable circumstances, while other complications may occur due to an error your physician or other healthcare provider has made. When this occurs, this is considered negligence. One example of a complication is neonatal seizures due to medical malpractice in Portland, OR.
What are Seizures?
Seizures occur to due abnormal electrical impulses and discharges in the brain. There are numerous reasons as to why a baby may have a seizure, but some babies experience seizures due to brain damage that has occurred prenatally or during the labor and delivery process.
In fact, seizures in the neonatal period are a sign that a birth injury may have occurred. It is essential to diagnose neonatal seizures urgently when they occur to prevent further brain damage from happening. Failure to diagnose neonatal seizures is also considered to be medical malpractice.
Types of Seizures
There are many different types of seizures that babies may have due to brain damage or other reasons. All types of neonatal seizures are significant. Types of seizures include the following:
- Focal tonic seizures – A baby with focal tonic seizures may present with posturing of the trunk or extremities, or abnormal movements of the eyes
- Focal clonic seizures – Babies with focal clonic seizures often exhibit rhythmic and repetitive facial, limb and trunk movements. The movements may be slow in character
- Myoclonic seizures – Babies with myoclonic seizures may present with contraction of the limbs, face or diaphragm muscles
- Epileptic spasms – This is the most uncommon type of seizure that may occur in a neonate, and involves spasms of the limbs and trunk
Complications Due to Neonatal Seizures:
Complications as the result of neonatal seizures may include the following:
- Cerebral palsy
- Brain damage
- Developmental delays
- Low IQ
- Learning disabilities
- Wrongful death
Medical Malpractice Causes of Neonatal Seizures
While there are many reasons as to why a baby may experience seizures in the neonatal period, causes due to medical malpractice include the following:
- Failure to diagnose and treat maternal infection
- Failure to provide appropriate prenatal care, leading to preventable complications occurring
- Failure to treat preeclampsia
- Allowing prolonged or arrested labor to occur without intervention, leading to brain damage of the infant
- Failure to diagnose prolapsed umbilical cord, leading to brain damage due to oxygen deprivation
- Failure to identify fetal stress during labor and delivery
- Failure to diagnose preterm labor
- Improper use of extraction tools (i.e. vacuum extractor or forceps)
- Failure to perform a c-section when there is maternal or fetal stress
- Failure to perform a c-section in situations where a vaginal birth is not indicated
- Failure to resuscitate a newborn when they are in respiratory distress
Does Your Baby Have Neonatal Seizures? It Could be Due to Medical Malpractice—Call for Help
If you or a loved one have been seriously injured or killed as a result of medical malpractice contact the Oregon Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Kuhlman Law at our number below or fill out the intake form. We offer a free initial case evaluation and handle cases on a contingency fee which means that you pay no money unless we recover.
Our law firm handles cases throughout the state including Bend and Portland Oregon, Redmond, Central Oregon, Sisters, Madras, Multnomah County, Deschutes County, Salem, Eugene, Corvallis, Lane County, Medford, Gresham, La Grande, Albany, Medford, Beaverton, Umatilla, Pendleton, Cottage Grove, Florence, Oregon City, Springfield, Keizer, Grants Pass, McMinnville, Tualatin, West Linn, Forest Grove, Wilsonville, Newberg, Roseburg, Lake Oswego, Klamath Falls, Happy Valley, Tigard, Ashland, Milwakie, Coos Bay, The Dalles, St. Helens, Sherwood, Central Point, Canby, Troutdale, Hermiston, Silverton, Hood River, Newport, Prineville, Astoria, Tillamook, Lincoln City, Hillsboro, and Vancouver, Washington.
We also have an office in Minneapolis, Minnesota and take medical malpractice cases throughout the Twin Cities, including St. Paul, Hennepin County, Ramsey County, Dakota County, Washington County, Anoka County, Scott County, Blaine, Stillwater, and Saint Paul Minnesota.
