Obstetricians and other healthcare professionals assisting with childbirth must perform their duties diligently and in keeping with the standard of care expected of qualified physicians. When these professionals do not uphold this standard, there can be long-lasting and even life-altering consequences for mothers and their children. Providers in this position are expected to monitor newborn infants for seizures and take prompt action to stabilize any infant who is experiencing one.
If your child has been harmed because of an improperly handled seizure, you may have grounds to file suit on their behalf with a skilled birth injury attorney’s help. Throughout your legal proceedings, a Connecticut infant seizures lawyer from Berkowitz Hanna can enforce your rights and work toward achieving a favorable case result for you and your family.
The human brain functions by sending neurochemical and electrical signals from one part of itself to another. Any abnormal patterns in the brain’s signals may cause involuntary jerking motions and other effects that are characterized as seizures. Different types of seizures may cause varying types of abnormal movements—for example, focal clonic seizures generally cause slow and repetitive movements in the limbs and face, whereas myoclonic seizures result in uncontrolled muscle contractions in one or many areas of the body.
If a child sustains brain trauma during childbirth, oxygen deprivation from umbilical cord compression or prolonged labor, or a serious infection, they may be more likely to experience seizures as a newborn and later on in life. A Connecticut infant seizures attorney can help take legal action against any physician whose negligence causes or allows an infant to experience a birth injury.
A doctor may cause an infant to suffer physical harm during the process of childbirth that results in the child experiencing seizures. However, this is not the only cause of action a Connecticut attorney can pursue for an infant seizure malpractice claim. In addition to being meticulous while using tools like forceps and vacuum extractors during childbirth, doctors are also expected to closely monitor both mother and child before, during, and after childbirth to make sure any complications related to the birth can be promptly treated.
Doctors who suspect an infant may experience seizures after being born should use electroencephalograms (EEGs) to determine whether brain seizures are occurring and where in the brain they are located. Providers must act quickly to identify and execute on the right course of treatment to minimize the baby’s risk of suffering long-term brain trauma. Any doctor who fails to do this is in breach of an applicable standard of care and may be liable for ensuing injuries.
While neonatal seizures are not always life-threatening, they certainly can be if they are not monitored by qualified medical professionals and promptly treated when necessary. Any physician who fails to meet this basic standard of care for you and your child may hold civil liability not just for their actions, but for every form of harm their actions have caused your family to sustain.
Pursuing this sort of claim can be both legally and emotionally challenging, which is why you should make it a priority to seek help with your case from a compassionate Connecticut infant seizures lawyer. Call Berkowitz Hanna today to schedule a free consultation.
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