Protect Your Rights in Oregon: When Very Low Birth Weight Due to Medical Malpractice is to Blame
The majority of babies are born healthy and without issue, there are some babies who experience complications due to a variety of factors. While some complications are foreseeable and unpreventable, there are others that are preventable. While unforeseeable and preventable complications can occur and are not necessarily the fault of any medical provider, there are times when a complication can be due to negligent care. If a mother or baby suffer harm due to negligent care, it is considered to be medical malpractice. One example of a complication that can be due to medical malpractice is very low birth weight due to medical malpractice.
Our medical malpractice lawyer in Oregon and Minnesota knows that this is a very serious type of medical error. It starts before labor and delivery, and it can have a serious and drastic outcome on a baby. It can also lead to life or death of a newborn. This is why it must be handled very seriously.
When it is not, babies may have very serious complications due to preventable errors. That means that the mistakes here are due to preventable errors and avoidable outcomes. In Oregon and Minnesota law, a family who suffers from these types of birth injuries where a defendant-healthcare provider could have prevented or avoided the negative outcome may be entitled to compensation.
When is a Baby Considered to Have Low Birth Weight?
According to Cedars Sinai, a baby is considered to have a very low birth weight if the baby is born weighing less than 3 pounds, 4 ounces. This is a fairly uncommon occurrence, with about 1% of babies in the United States being born weighing less than 3 pounds, 4 ounces.
Why is Very Low Birth Weight Dangerous?
Very low birth weight places infants at great risk for having many medical problems. This is because their bodies are not as strong as the typical baby. There are many potential complications associated with very low birth weight, including the following:
- Difficulty feeding
- Difficulty gaining weight
- Higher risk for infection
- Risk for lower oxygen levels at birth
- Breathing difficulties
- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
- Risk for nervous system problems such as brain hemorrhage or damage to the white matter of the brain
- Digestive problems
- Necrotizing enterocolitis
Additional long-term risks for babies born with a very low birth weight include the following:
- Hearing loss or deafness
- Cerebral palsy
- Developmental delays
- Vision loss or blindness
Any instance of very low birth weight due to medical malpractice in Oregon or Minnesota could be the result of serious medical malpractice. If your loved one has any of these damages, it is important to consult with a lawyer to check on whether hospital, doctor, nurse, or other healthcare provider misconduct resulted in the damages to your loved one. If so, it could be due to medical malpractice and allow you and your family to collect compensation. Victims of medical malpractice should ask for an experienced birth injury lawyer like ours for help with these types of very low birth weight cases in Oregon or Minnesota.
Medical Malpractice Related Causes of Very Low Birth Weight
There are many different causes of very low birth weight, with some causes being due to unpreventable factors such as a multiples pregnancy, there are times when very low birth weight can be entirely prevented with proper medical care. Examples of medical malpractice related causes of very low birth weight include the following:
Failure to provide adequate prenatal care – it is a physician’s responsibility to ensure that a woman receives adequate prenatal care during her pregnancy. This is to protect both the mother and baby. There are certain standards of care that obstetricians are supposed to adhere to in order to keep both mother and baby safe and healthy, such as monthly visits until 28 weeks, periodic ultrasounds, and blood pressure checks at each visit. Failure to adhere to the standard of care can lead to many complications, including very low birth weight
Failure to Stop Preterm Labor – Unfortunately this is not always something that is possible. However, there are certain drugs that can stop the progression of labor to give the baby more time to grow. If a provider dismisses a patient’s concerns about possible labor or fails to act quickly enough, it can eliminate the opportunity to stop the labor, leading to complications such as very low birth weight.
You Do Not Have Long to File a Lawsuit
Under both Oregon and Minnesota law, you only have a set timeframe to file a lawsuit known as the statute of limitations period. This is a time limit on filing a lawsuit. Filing a case outside of the time limit will result in denial of your claim, even if it is meritorious. While the state Legislature has a set time limit, there are many exceptions to the rules—some that are not in the law books. This means that victims should ask a birth injury lawyer what the amount of time may be to commence their lawsuit. The time period is often short, and a lawyer should be called as soon as practicable.
Ask Our Birth Injury Lawyer for With Very Low Birth Weight Due to Medical Malpractice in Oregon
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.
